The Master Electrician Summer 2014

Registered by Australia Post Publications No. PP424022/2346

inside Cool Runnings: The Aussie Bobsquad Island Boom: Australia’s greatest energy hub THE INTERVIEW: Malcolm Turnbull on the NBN

SUMMER 14

themaster

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table of contents Average Net Distribution 33 977 CAB Audited as of September 2013

new year, new you 04 the aussie bobsquad

07

the energy smart office of the future 10 the buzz

14

energy spotlight

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To infinity and beyond – update

20

meet a master electrician

22

benefit spotlight

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news from the distributors

24

regulator wrap up

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07 Welcome to the Summer edition of the Master Electrician.

lifestyle 32 the interview

34

gadget guide

38

techno biz

39

technical talk

40

18

the building blocks of a quality business 44 workplace relations

46

all about ME

50

test drive

54

events calendar

56

shocking photograph

57

the last word

58

Like us on facebook

General Enquiries Master Electricians Australia PO Box 2438, Fortitude Valley BC Queensland 4006 PHONE 1300 889 198 FAX 1800 622 914 EMAIL magazine@masterelectricians.com.au WEB www.masterelectricians.com.au

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Editorial Contacts & Contributors

Follow us @MasterElectrics on Twitter

EDITOR Malcolm Richards ASSOCIATE EDITOR Kirsty Bond ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES Janelle MacDonald PHONE 07 3252 4860 EMAIL magazine@masterelectricians.com.au DESIGN AND PRINT POMO 07 3844 3873

Become a Fan on Facebook www.facebook.com/ masterelectricians

www.masterelectricians.com.au or call 1300 889 198 The Master Electrician is printed on environmentally responsible paper sourced from FSC® certified forestry plantations. The paper is made with Elemental Chlorine Free pulps (ECF).

Cover photo: Adam Taber www.adamtaberphotography.ca

Disclaimer: The statements and opinions expressed in this publication are offered solely in pursuance of the objects of the Electrical Contractors Association and Master Electricians Australia to provide an informative service to contractors in the electrical industry on legal, commercial and other issues and problems related to the industry. The Electrical Contractors Association and Master Electricians Australia are not aware that any person intends to act or rely upon such statements and opinions contained in this publication or the manner in which it might be possible to do so. The Electrical Contractors Association and Master Electricians Australia issues no invitation to any member or other persons to act or rely upon such statements or opinions or any of them and it accepts no responsibility for any of them.

It intends by this provision to exclude, to the extent permitted by law, all liability for any such statements and opinions. The Master Electrician Magazine can be viewed online at www.masterelectricians.com.au

2013 was another significant year for the electrical industry with some colossal wins including the issue of safety switches on all circuits finally being taken seriously and more recently, the National Occupational Licensing System being discontinued which you can read more about on page 50.

Remember the movie Cool Runnings? Turn to page 7 to read about Australia’s very own men’s bobsleigh team who plan to take the Winter Olympics in Sochi by storm.

In a fitting end to what was an exceptionally busy year, we are proud to announce our dedication to producing a quality publication has not gone unnoticed! In November, The Master Electrician was named a Finalist for Best Member Organisation Magazine at the 2013 Publishers Australia Excellence Awards.

Until next time.

Kirsty Bond Associate Editor

The Master Electrician

Summer 2014

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feature

New year, new you It’s that time of year again and the pressure to make a New Year’s resolution or two is on. Top of many people’s lists is to become a new and healthier person. Stephanie Lim dons her mental sweat pants and looks into the inspirational Australian businesses that have transformed their workplaces into healthy lifestyle hubs.

No time to hit the gym?

A common enough scenario for many workaholics. As we procrastinate against our number one New Year’s resolution to shed those kilos and turn over a new leaf when it comes to our health and diet, the employees of BioSolar and NOJA Power® have found they have no such excuse.

Their workplaces have been transformed into all-in-one healthy lifestyle hubs incorporating various health, wellness and entertainment initiatives.

Even the most hardworking of workaholics could still find time to take a ten minute jog on the treadmill, especially when it’s right on the doorstep of the office.

Over ten million Australians spend an average of eight hours per day in the workplace, equivalent to one third of our entire lives!

It is reported that Australia is currently ranked as the fourth fattest nation in the developed world behind the United States, Mexico and New Zealand, with latest figures from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation showing 28.3 per cent of the adult Australian population as obese. www.masterelectricians.com.au

Australia also has the second highest use of antidepressants in the developed world and uses anti-cholesterol pills at a higher rate than anywhere else.

Alarming statistics such as these were what prompted market leading solar company BioSolar to launch a wellness program aimed at improving their staff’s health and wellbeing.

Under their wellness program, BioSolar staff enjoy a number of structured health and wellness initiatives such as a gym and yoga studio, a cinema and even Brisbane’s very first raw food cafe – all on-site at the office!

BioSolar General Manager for People, Safety and Culture Bryan McCartney says the program was implemented 12 months ago and was a concept developed by BioSolar owner and founder Leigh Storr.

“Leigh has a strong passion for health and wellness and believes that a healthy mind and body go hand-in-hand with creating a healthy work environment,” Mr McCartney says.

“It’s simple chemistry. Physical activity releases endorphins in the brain that trigger feelings of happiness.

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The BioSolar Orawgi cafe and innovative new yoga studio space Turf Studios.

“A balanced healthy lifestyle can really bring about big changes in a work environment and not only boosts productivity in the workplace, but creates a much happier working atmosphere.”

Dr Alam says NOJA staff also enjoy free optional flu vaccinations at the start of the winter season, and receive two pieces of fruit per day to encourage healthy eating.

Not only that, Mr McCartney says cultivating a healthy body also reduces the risk of illness or injury.

“We make it absolutely compulsory for staff to take their lunch and tea breaks and also run several seminars a year focused on health and wellbeing, including cooking workshops by qualified dieticians,” he says.

“This comes into play especially for tradesmen who work in an environment that can be very prone to risk,” he explains.

“Our tradesmen are often working with heavy panels and inverters and having a strong healthy body can do wonders in preventing some injuries.”

Similarly, electrical switchgear engineers NOJA Power’s health and wellbeing program has already garnered the company silver recognition by the Queensland Government.

“We’ve seen a tremendously high attendance rate at these seminars, and regular sport and activity programs such as barbeques and participating in the Bridge to Brisbane 10 km run are always enjoyed by not just staff, but their family members as well.”

BioSolar’s Bryan McCartney says it’s all about having the healthier options easily available for staff.

The company recently announced the release of a video on the homepage of the Queensland Government’s Workplaces for Wellness website, showcasing NOJA’s health and wellbeing initiatives.

“BioSolar’s Orawgi Cafe is operated on premises by Leigh’s fiancé Jamie Louise and is open to the public. Most of the food in the cafe is raw, organic, low GI and vegan, and dishes contain some of the most nutritious super foods available,” he says.

QHSE Manager of NOJA Power Dr Rabiul Alam says the company’s wellness program began in 2012 and was the brain child of NOJA Power Managing Director Neil O’Sullivan, who wanted to turn the company into a health and wellbeing hub for staff.

“At the BioSolar Gym we have fitness instructors from Off Ya Glutes running classes and private training sessions for staff at a significantly subsidised rate.

“NOJA Power’s initiative includes bike racks, showers and lockers to encourage employees to cycle or walk to work,” Dr Alam says.

“As part of the program, staff are encouraged to undergo an annual health and wellbeing check-up conducted by Wesley Health in Queensland.

“These check-ups test for everything from cholesterol levels to body mass index and are aimed at helping staff understand their current health status and how they can improve their health.

“They are fully sponsored by NOJA Power and while optional, we’ve seen approximately 80 per cent of staff participation.”

“We’ve also got an innovative new studio space called Turf Studios, an astro-turfed warehouse right next door to BioSolar that has been established by Jamie Louise. This means staff receive discounts on yoga, pilates, dance classes and massages.”

But a healthy lifestyle is more than just being physically fit. The BioSolar head office boasts a functional workspace that creatively transforms into a 50 seat large screen cinema for weekly movie nights.

“This allows staff to kick back and relax after a hard day’s work with a movie on premises,” Mr McCartney says.

“The cinema even comes with a popcorn machine and 3D glasses for a full movie experience!”

The Master Electrician

Summer 2014

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NOJA Power receiving the Silver Recognition by Queensland Health for their health and wellness program. From left: QLD Minister for Health Lawrence Springborg MP, NOJA Power’s Managing Director Neil O’Sullivan, Finance Director Quynh Anh Le, Engineering Director Jay Manne and Quality and Service Director Oleg Samarski.

Last year, BioSolar owner Leigh also made the courageous decision to turn the company into a smoke-free workplace. This meant all outdoor and indoor areas at the BioSolar Woolloongabba head office and Darra warehouse are now smoke-free.

“This was a controversial but brave move on Leigh’s part. Part of promoting a healthy mind and body means making sure we’re not endorsing the type of activities that would cause harm or damage to a body,” Mr McCartney says.

“This includes activities such as smoking, which can cause illness or disease. By making the BioSolar office and warehouse smokefree we’re encouraging employees to be more socially responsible in this respect.”

These benefits to staff have also created flow-on advantages for the company itself.

“Within the past six to 12 months, absenteeism has been reduced substantially and we’ve seen a much more positive workforce in terms of behaviour of staff,” Mr McCartney says.

“Since staff are at work more and away less, the company has significantly increased productivity and this has been especially so in the last seven months.”

Likewise, NOJA’s Dr Alam says he’s seen a marked reduction in absenteeism in the workplace, as well as a significant increase in staff interaction in the workplace.

Despite this, the BioSolar Wellness program and its initiatives have been well received by BioSolar staff. Mr McCartney says he has seen significant positive changes in staff since the implementation of the program.

“It has been noted by the Queensland Government that businesses that implement health and wellbeing programs benefit because employees are less likely to be absent from work, suffer fewer workrelated injuries, are more productive and stay with the company for longer,” he says.

“There’s definitely an increased social interaction between staff and the relationships formed are much more genuine and authentic, as these staff not only work together but go to the gym or take yoga classes together,” he says.

“Poor employee health management often leads to absenteeism which is costing Australian businesses $7 billion per annum.

‘Presenteeism’ – whereby an employee attends work but underperforms due to a medical condition, costs an estimated $34 billion per annum!”

“It’s a work culture that’s very much based on fun, being active and getting involved.

“When we have new staff come on board there’s always that element of surprise from them at how much stock we put into these health and wellness initiatives, but they love it and really get deeply involved which is great to see.” www.masterelectricians.com.au

The facts speak for themselves. The benefits a healthy lifestyle can bring, not just to an individual but to the workplace, are clear. Our nation is beginning to grasp the concept that healthy bodies lead to healthy minds and an overall happier work environment.

If you have been thinking of making a New Year’s resolution, make your health and that of your workforce a priority.

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feature

The Aussie Bobsquad With the Sochi Winter Olympics kicking off in February, seasoned Games reporter Rebecca Belsham sat down with one of the ‘Big Men’ of winter sport, the Australian Men’s Bobsleigh Team pilot Heath Spence, to discuss his team’s chances in Russia.

There’s a reason Bobsleighing

is known as the ‘Formula One race on ice’. Crews can reach speeds of more than 130km/h as the pilot steers the sled through twists, turns and straightaways. It’s a cold, wet and physically draining sport – not for the weak-hearted, or weak of arms.

The Australian Men’s Bobsleigh Team, or ‘Aussie Bobsquad’ as they are affectionately known, rely on the force and speed of their initial pushing phase to get the sleigh moving, then it’s up to gravity and their equipment to get them through the rest of the winding track.

Bobsquad pilot Heath Spence says most of the guys on the crew weigh in at over 100kgs, which definitely helps with the gravity aspect of the race.

“We need to reach speeds of about 40km/h before we jump into the sled so it’s vital the guys are quick on their feet, while also strong enough to give the cart a good push on the hard ice,” Spence says.

Because of the unlikely combination of athleticism the sport requires, the training is very varied and involves more time off the ice than you might think.

“There are no bob sleigh tracks in the Southern Hemisphere so during our offseason at home we train like a combination of sprinters and power lifters by pushing makeshift bobsleds on wheels at different locations around the country.

“The guys on our crew come from right across Australia from a variety of athletic backgrounds such as sprinting, surf lifesaving and rugby so everyone brings different training ideas.”

The diverse nature of athleticism required in the sport attracted popular Aussie hurdler Jana Pittman, who is also competing for the Australian women’s team in Sochi this year.

Spence reveals the men’s team focus a lot of their training on Olympic lifts and squats to compliment the power they need to generate to push the sled off the start line.

“There are no bob sleigh tracks in the Southern Hemisphere so during our off-season at home we train like a combination of sprinters and power lifters by pushing makeshift bobsleds on wheels at different locations around the country.”

“I regularly power clean 140kg, although some of my teammates can clean more than 160kg. My best squat is 270kg and my deadlift personal best is 275kgs,” he says.

“I’ve based myself in Calgary, Canada the last couple of years to give myself and the team the best possible chance to do well in Sochi.

“Calgary has some of the best Bobsleigh specific training facilities in the world with The Master Electrician

Summer 2014

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Bobsleigh competition facts: • Runs are timed to 0.01 seconds • The event consists of four heats and final standings are determined by the team’s total time over four races • The winner is the sled with the lowest aggregate time • Only the 20 best ranked teams after the third heat will compete in the fourth run • If two teams complete the competition in a tie, they are awarded the same place • An original Winter Olympic sport – first introduced in Chamonix in 1924 • Australia first competed in bobsleighing in 1988 in the Calgary Winter Olympic Games.

Sochi Winter Olympic Games facts: From left: Heath Spence, Gareth Cher, Duncan Harvey and Lucas Mata at the America Cup, Lake Placid USA.

• Bobsleigh action takes place on days 9, 10, 11, 12, 15 & 16 • Total athletes: 170 (130 men, 40 women)

a purpose built push facility called the Ice House, which is an exact re-creation of the first part of an Olympic track.

• Main events: 3 (4-man men’s, 2-man men’s, 2-man women’s)

“Every day we go into the Ice House and spend hours and hours practicing the first five seconds of the race over and over again. It’s the smallest part of the ride, but by far the most important.”

• Venue: Sank Sliding Centre

It is not only Spence’s ‘home track’ but his workplace. For the past four years, 33-year-old Spence has driven Canadians and international tourists wanting the bobsleigh experience, down the track built for the 1988 Olympic Games.

Given snow is a rarity in most parts of Australia and that bobsleighing is even rarer, Spence explains his love of the sport came after failed attempts at snowboarding and skiing while he was in Calgary to play rugby.

“I tried to ski and snowboard and failed miserably at both so I wandered over to the bobsleigh track and instantly fell in love with the speed and rush it gives you being so close to the edge,” he says.

“It has been a huge journey to get from there to being a part of the Olympic team but now every time I approach the start line I believe I can win gold.”

Australia’s best result at a Winter Olympics for Men’s four-man Bobsleigh is 20th which was achieved in 1994 at Lillehammer in Norway.

“We are working hard to compete against the big nations in the sport like Canada, USA, Germany and Russia but they have big budgets, coaches, doctors, managers and even formula one race car teams building sleds and runners for them,” Spence says.

With the Aussie team made up of everything from chiropractors to teachers to engineers, Spence jokes all they really need now is an electrician. www.masterelectricians.com.au

• Crowd capacity: 5,000.

“With the amount of problems we encounter coming from Australia with different shaped plugs and voltages to travelling across Europe, North America and Russia, we’ve always got room for a helpful sparky!”

But he warns you need to put in a lot of time and dedication to be a champion bobsledder.

“It takes hours of hard work on and off the ice so you have to love what you do, love hard work and be a perfectionist,” Spence says.

“A huge part of our day is taken up with sled preparation, learning new tracks, gym, sprint training and preparing to race, so without a strong team it wouldn’t be possible to get through all of that.”

Spence asks readers to keep an eye out for his team in Russia this February. He will be the guy putting his right shoe on before his left.

“Every athlete has a superstition and it’s my pre-race ritual to always put my right shoe on first,” he says.

“After four years of hard work and sacrifice which culminated from a seemingly crazy dream I had a long time ago, it’s finally coming to reality for the team and me.

“This year without a doubt we have assembled the strongest most competitive team Australia has ever seen in bobsleigh and I am proud to be a part of this.

“No matter what our result (and what shoe I put on first!), we are out there doing the best for our country.”

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feature impressive project

The energy smart office of the future Incorporating the use of natural elements with state of the art technology, the Schneider Electric office in Melbourne has become one of the most sustainable commercial office buildings in the state’s suburban market. We look into the brand new energy smart office that’s paving the way to a sustainable future.

In today’s increasingly technological age, the demand for energy

has never been higher. With major energy shortages and more cost increases looming on the horizon, the need to embrace clean and sustainable technology is now paramount.

warehousing in the $36 million building, which showcases Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure energy efficient solutions.

Market leading electrical manufacturer Schneider Electric are a company that have taken energy efficiency to a whole new level with their relocation to a new integrated energy smart office facility in Notting Hill, Melbourne.

Schneider Electric Pacific Zone Managing Director Stephen Coop says the development incorporates extensive sustainable features such as high performance double glazing, recycled materials, extensive sun shading, rainwater harvesting, chilled beam air-conditioning system and energy efficient lighting with daylight harvesting.

Situated at Ferntree Business Park, the company now occupies three levels covering 5,465m² of office space and 400m² of

“On top of the building’s sustainable features, Schneider Electric has also introduced unprecedented levels of natural elements

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to enhance the workspace environment for our employees,” Mr Coop says.

“This incorporates plant walls that generate clean, fresh oxygen for the office. We also use a high efficiency heat wheel to condition the fresh air prior to its distribution throughout the building.”

Mr Coop says in order to conserve electricity and ensure that artificial lighting is only used when the building is occupied, a switchless lighting control strategy called DALIcontrol has been implemented.

“In open plan areas of the building occupancy, detectors turn groups of lights on when an occupant movement is detected, and turn off after a period of time where there is no movement,” he says.

“Along with occupancy detection these sensors also monitor natural daylight level. When sufficient daylight is available in the building, the DALIcontrol system reduces the output by dimming the row of lights adjacent to the windows to conserve energy.”

Mr Coop says the DALIcontrol system is also integrated into the security system to allow lighting in the open office to be used to alert staff of a pending arming of the security system, reminding them to swipe their badge to identify themselves.

“Along with occupancy detection these sensors also monitor natural daylight level. When sufficient daylight is available in the building, the DALIcontrol system reduces the output by dimming the row of lights adjacent to the windows to conserve energy.”

“Another aspect of the DALIcontrol network is the Clipsal Integrated Emergency Lighting system, which delivers an intelligent and common platform for maintenance routines. Automating these processes saves both time and cost,” he explains.

To simplify the cabling process for the lighting network and reduce labour cost fitting of each component, Clipsal DALI Infinity 5 pole soft wiring architecture was used in the building.

“This soft wiring approach delivered a plug and play cabling approach to the installation, in place of traditional fixed wiring,” Mr Coop says.

The Master Electrician

Summer 2014

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“On top of the building’s sustainable features, Schneider Electric has also introduced unprecedented levels of natural elements to enhance the workspace environment for our employees... This incorporates plant walls that generate clean, fresh oxygen for the office.

“These cables and connectors can be removed, reused and recycled.

“We also utilise high efficiency chilled beams as the general office cooling solution. This equipment is monitored and controlled by the Building Management System (BMS).

“The BMS is used as the window to the systems on site. Water, air, gas and electricity data is collected by the BMS and then displayed in a series of energy efficiency displays as well as being integrated into the SPM7 power monitoring system via web services.”

Mr Coop says energy monitoring is also displayed on several monitors around the facility.

“This includes floor by floor comparisons of water, air, gas and electricity usage, as well as how the company is performing with respect to target consumption and emissions,” he says.

“There are 21 electricity meters and nine thermal meters installed in the fit-out to monitor consumption and provide energy challenges.”

These features all contributed to the building’s impressive five star Green Star Design Certification by the Green Building Council

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Chairman and CEO of Schneider Electric Jean Pascal Tricoire says the new Melbourne facility not only demonstrates how energy savings of up to 30 per cent can easily be achieved, it further reinforces Schneider Electric’s commitment to the future sustainability of Australia’s energy economy.

“Technology innovation is critical in driving energy management, especially with the cost of energy going up across all industries,” Mr Tricoire says.

“Now is an important time for businesses to consider the benefits of achieving higher energy efficiency through revolutionary technologies, and the new Melbourne office allows us to give a practical demonstration of how this can be done.”

The new facility consolidates nine Schneider Electric sites across Melbourne and will be home to 380 employees encompassing Schneider Electric’s IT, Energy, Building, Industry ECS and Clipsal businesses.

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The Master Electrician

Summer 2014

14

the buzz New ACMA competency requirements for Registered Cablers In July 2012, the ACMA implemented changes to the competency requirements for registered cablers. But what do these changes mean for cablers?

The Australian Communications and Media Authority’s (ACMA) Cabling Provider Rules (CPRs) regulate the performance of cabling work in customer premises. Under the CPRs, cabling providers must be registered by ACMA-appointed registrars. To be registered, you must meet certain competencies that the ACMA has set. These competencies form the basis for training programs developed by Industry Skills Councils (ISCs).

The ACMA has amended the cabling arrangements to ensure all cabling providers have the necessary skills to perform specialised cabling work for the current and emerging customer cabling environment.

These changes address concerns within the industry that cablers may not have the appropriate skills required to perform specialised cabling work, such as those beyond the scope of an Open Registration for the current and emerging cabling environment. Much of this is being driven by the introduction of the National Broadband Network (NBN), where customer telecommunications systems are increasingly becoming Internet Protocol (IP) or ethernet-based and therefore must function over higher data rate capable customer cabling.

How these changes affect you The changes are to be effected over a two-year phase-in period and will require cablers to have the necessary competencies

in whatever specialist field of cabling they are working in by 1 July 2014.

Up until now, cabling work such as optical-fibre, coaxial and structured customer cabling could be installed by Open Registered Cablers without any specialist cabling competencies, although these competencies were readily available and cablers were encouraged to acquire them through further education. However, specialist competencies will no longer be voluntary as of July 2014.

Consider the following scenarios that best describe your current circumstances to determine what you need to do before 1 July 2014: • Open Registration with no endorsements If you are not planning to work on any speciality customer cabling, you will not be required to do anything extra. Simply maintain your base Open Registration by renewing it. If, however, you will be working on structured, optical fibre or coaxial cabling after 1 July 2014, you will need to acquire the appropriate competencies through training or assessment before 1 July 2014.

• Open Registration with Cat 5 or Structured Cabling, Optical Fibre or Coax endorsements Holding any of these old endorsements means you may not necessarily need any additional training in that speciality, as they are equivalent to the corresponding new competencies.

When you renew your registration after 1 July 2014, your current endorsements will be listed as competencies. If you only have one or two of these endorsements and wish to do other specialist cabling in the future, you will need to acquire the relevant competencies through training or assessment.

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• Open Registration with Aerial or Underground endorsements These endorsements are largely safety related and are equivalent to the corresponding new competencies. When you renew your registration after 1 July 2014, your current endorsements will be listed as competencies.

• Restricted Registration Restricted Cablers must attain the new Broadband data cabling competency before July 2014 if they want to perform specialist cabling work. This new competency is for residential premises point-to-point work only and is not a competency such as the Structured competency applied to the Open Registered Cablers.

• Lift Registration Lift Registration is an ‘add-on’ to an electrical qualification that applies to cabling work in the immediate area of the lift-well only. Therefore unless you are also working on broadband point-to-point data cabling within the lift-well, your current registration will remain in place after July 2014.

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What happens if I do not comply with the Telecommunications Act or the CPR? The ACMA may: 1. Issue a formal warning notice to you 2. Issue a non-compliance notice to the telecommunications carrier (who may disconnect dangerous cabling from the network) 3. Issue a telecommunications infringement notice to the cabler (this is an on-the-spot fine of $2,040) 4. If the matter is serious enough, the ACMA can take court prosecution action against the cabler. A court prosecution may result in a conviction and/or a fine of up to $20,400.

You could be considered un-compliant and have committed a criminal offense if you are an unregistered cabler who is not properly supervised, or if the work you perform does not comply with the Wiring Rules.

Telework resources for business owners Running an electrical business in today’s digital landscape provides opportunities to reduce the need for staff to be at your office or workshop.

With the right technology and management approach you can run a successful mobile workforce without having to provide the workspace or infrastructure to get the job done, and often at a lower cost. But leading and managing people remotely requires technology know-how and new management processes.

To help implement Telework in your business, a free resource is now available for business owners in the electrotechnology industry.

Available online, the module provides tailored information on telework technology requirements, tips on how to manage virtual employees, a real-life case study and webinar video recording.

The resource is provided as part of Master Electricians Australia’s upcoming Digital Business Kit – a comprehensive digital business resource due to be released in late 2014.

You can watch the video and find out more at www.masterelectricians.com.au/digital

Put simply, if you work on specialist customer cabling, you will require proven competency in that speciality. If you do not work in a particular speciality, you will not need that competency.

This is an Australian Government initiative funded under the Digital Business Kits Program.

For example, if you install category 5, 6 or 7 structured data cabling systems, you will need a Structured Cabling competency added to your Open Registration. If you only install telecommunications cabling, such as 50-pair block cabling, your Open Registration will cover this and you will not require additional competencies. However, if you decide to install structured cabling in the future, you will need to acquire the Structured Cabling competency beforehand.

Attaining the new competencies Most industry stakeholders are recommending that all cablers future-proof their registrations over time by gaining the additional specialist competencies as soon as possible. This will then avoid the situation of a number of cablers all wanting to upgrade their registration at the same time.

It will be impractical in most cabling work situations to determine in advance the type of cable likely to be encountered on a daily basis in a broadband environment. This is particularly so as the NBN expands and over time replaces the existing Telstra copper carrier network and more customers use broadband products.

Although a transition period applies, the reality is that already there has been an upturn in training for ‘endorsements’ or ACMA specialist competencies and most employers will favour recruiting staff with the specialist competencies.

For more information please contact Master Electricians SkillsConnect on 1300 889 198 or visit www.masterelectricians.com.au/training The information in this article has been provided by TITAB Australia, the country’s largest not-for-profit Cabler Registry.

The Master Electrician

Summer 2014

16

the buzz Australia prepares for the Digital Dividend In the transition from analogue to digital television and frequency spectrum changes, current wireless audio devices may soon become inoperable.

Australia is currently transitioning from analogue to digital television for clearer and more defined pictures, but this change has also had an impact on the country’s frequency spectrum and will soon affect how your wireless audio devices operate.

While wireless audio devices currently operate on the Australian audio frequency spectrum between 520 MHz and 820 MHz, this will change from the start of January 2015.

When the switchover to digital-only TV occurred, the Government re-stacked the frequency and altered TV services to broadcast on the spectrum between 520 MHz and 694 MHz. With this re-stack more space became available as one analogue channel occupies the equivalent space of three digital channels.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has held an auction allowing three highest bidders from the telecommunications industry to secure part of the newly available spectrum. These winning bidders were Optus Mobile, Telstra and TPG Internet.

The companies have announced they will use their new frequency to offer their customers greater coverage of the 4G mobile network and improved reception throughout Australia.

As a result of this re-shuffling the available frequency for our wireless audio devices will now change. As of 1 January 2015, the Government will make it illegal to use the frequency between 694 MHz and 820 MHz. Instead, ACMA says wireless audio devices will need to be re-tuned to operate on the frequency between 520 MHz and 694 MHz where possible, otherwise they can no longer be used.

How does this affect electrical contractors?

It is important electrical contractors understand the Digital Dividend and what devices will be affected.

At the start of 2015, as businesses begin to notice their audio devices are not functioning, electrical contractors may likely experience an influx of calls to solve the problem. It is important electricians, as the first point of contact, are able to educate customers on these frequency changes and advise them of the steps they must take.

It is recommended that all wireless audio devices and the frequency they operate on are audited before the end of next year. Any device currently operating on the frequency between 694 MHz and 820 MHz will either need to be retuned or replaced by 1 January 2015.

It is important to note that there are a number of devices in a business that could be affected by the switchover. ACMA predicts 150,000 microphones will need to be switched off and discarded.

ACMA have said they will be assisting consumers with the switchover by restricting the supply of wireless microphones that operate in the 694 MHz and 820 MHz range. They are also currently liaising with Standards Australia to ensure changes are reflected in the relevant standards. www.masterelectricians.com.au

When purchasing new digital products on behalf of customers, it is important to ensure you purchase Digital Dividend-ready products to save money and prepare for the switchover on 1 January 2015.

It is also a good idea to advise customers to do some research and look for companies who are offering trade-ins on wireless to digital frequency-ready devices.

To ensure all businesses understand the changes and what they need to do to be prepared, the ACMA have developed a range of easy-to-understand resources available at www.acma.gov.au/ industry/wirelessmics Visit www.myswitch.digitalready.gov.au to find out more about the Digital Dividend re-stack.

Digital Dividend checklist • Audit current wireless devices and systems – are they capable of operating in the 520-694 MHz range?

• Only purchase Digital Dividend products • Research companies offering trade-ins on wireless to digital frequency devices • Educate customers to plan to transition out non-compliant products before January 2015 • Research TV block allocation and confirm products operating below 694 MHz are compatible with the block allocation in locations of interest.

Devices affected: • Microphones • Public Announcement systems • Wireless audio transmitters • In-ear monitoring systems • Wireless audio speakers • Wireless intercoms.

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18

feature energy spotlight

Island boom Construction of the GLNG Gladstone export facility on Curtis Island.

Building any LNG processing plant has its challenges but put it next to three other plant developments, isolate them all by water and you’ll end up with one of the most impressive clusters of gas facilities anywhere in the world.

Rebecca Belsham explores the construction of Australia’s greatest energy hub.

Nestled 16 kilometres off Gladstone in Queensland lays

Curtis Island, the home to four major liquefied natural gas (LNG) processing and export facility projects which sit side-by-side.

The projects each involve building processing plants and export facilities which are collectively linked by approximately 1,694 kilometres of gas and water pipeline networks to coal seam gas (CSG) resources throughout regional Queensland.

Three of the developments, together worth more than $60 billion and owned by Santos Gladstone LNG (GLNG), Australia Pacific LNG and Queensland Curtis LNG, are run by world-renowned Canadian project management company, Bechtel.

Bechtel Gladstone General Manager Kevin Berg says the logistics involved in delivering these LNG processing and export facilities were enormous and ranged from construction, to accommodation, to transport, general employment and working closely with each project owner every step of the way.

“The projects will use 5,900km of electrical cable, enough concrete to fill 167 Olympic swimming pools (417,000m3) and enough structural steel to build more than 13 Eiffel Towers (96,000MT),” Mr Berg says. www.masterelectricians.com.au

“Part of the development involves the construction, delivery and installation of 260 pre-fabricated steel modules from around the world.

“We’re currently at peak construction with almost 11,000 people employed across our three Curtis Island LNG projects, including more than 600 electricians.

“With that amount of people we serve 327,000 meals per month which includes 300,000 eggs, 55,000kg of meat and a whopping 90,000kg of fruit and vegetables!”

Mr Berg says 2014 is a critical year for their developments as they move closer towards the plant start-up phases but their past experiences on projects such as Atlantic LNG, Equatorial Guinea LNG, Egyptian LNG and Angola LNG had positioned them perfectly to roll their three Curtis Island projects out seamlessly.

“We expect to maintain our peak workforce through to the second half of next year, though we will continue to transition from employing primarily civil trades into the employment of electrical and mechanical trades, special class welders, instrument technicians and pipe fitters,” he says.

19

Bechtel workers on Curtis Island.

Four LNG processing plants and export facilities sit side by side on Curtis Island.

“We‘re building world class LNG plants, and we need world class people to construct them.”

industry to the region has resulted in more, bigger and better facilities and services being sustainable within the community.”

Santos GLNG’s project is a US$18.5 billion venture which involves the development of gas fields in the Bowen and Surat Basins and the construction of a 420 kilometre underground gas transmission pipeline to Gladstone as well as their two-train LNG processing facility on Curtis Island in Gladstone.

Energy Skills Queensland Chief Executive Officer Glenn Porter says despite major construction winding up on Curtis Island in 2015, the upstream (CSG field facilities) workforce associated with Queensland’s CSG to LNG industry wouldn’t peak until 2024 with around 14,900 skilled people needed.

Santos Vice President Queensland Trevor Brown says their development recently reached a major milestone, achieving in excess of 27 million work hours’ across the project this year.

“It is anticipated the CSG to LNG industry will continue to grow in Queensland for more than 30 years and will provide ongoing career opportunities across a number of occupations, including the electrical trades,” Mr Porter says.

“It would take the average worker 14,800 years to clock over the same time worked so far this year on our project alone,” Mr Brown says.

“We’ve now passed the 65 per cent completion mark and we’re progressing on track for the first LNG to be exported in 2015.

“We’re also proud to say our recent Social Impact Management Plan revealed the Santos GLNG Project has invested $58 million every week on average with Australian businesses since it was sanctioned in January 2011.”

The Australian Bureau of Statistics reports the unemployment rate in the Maranoa region, where the projects operate, has fallen to two per cent, one of the lowest in Australia.

Gladstone Regional Council Mayor Gail Sellors says the hustle and bustle on Curtis Island had importantly been great for local businesses and employment, but it also created some problems for the region.

“Many local firms have secured significant contracts for many different parts of the ongoing construction associated with the arrival of the LNG proponents to the Gladstone region,” Mayor Sellors says.

“The increased resident population has also been a catalyst for an increase in the need for a range of other services to the area including health, education, recreation, shopping, housing, professional services and support and logistical services.

“While the population increase has affected the region’s housing market, overall the growth associated with the arrival of the LNG

“Through collaborative research with Arrow Energy, Conoco Phillips, Origin Energy, Santos and QGC, we’ve developed a Workforce Plan which has identified more than 20 critical skills and occupations which include telecommunications technicians and electrical fitters.

“The CSG to LNG industry has the potential to generate significant positive economic and social benefits on a national scale for Australasia, Queensland, and for regional economies for many years to come.

“It’s essential we work towards filling those skills gaps now and building a workforce which is flexible and competent to ensure all benefits from this emerging industry are realised.”

Bechtel’s Mr Berg says there were still plenty of opportunities to be had on Curtis Island for a while yet.

“Since work began on the three Curtis Island projects we’ve provided training to nearly 12,000 employees and employed more than 400 adult apprentices which represents the largest intake of apprentices in Australian history.

“We’ve already paid more than $500 million in wages since kickingoff the project two years ago.

“The delivery of the Curtis Island LNG projects will position both Gladstone and Queensland as one of Australia’s leading industrial centres with plenty of opportunities now and into the future for many Australians.”

The Master Electrician Summer 2014

20

feature

To Infinity and beyond – update The infinity cable issue has prompted a lot of talk, but so far little genuine action, from regulators and those responsible for putting the cable in the marketplace.

It is, without question, a ticking time bomb in thousands of Australian homes and businesses.

Across Australia, more than 2,000 kilometres of Infinity cable lies in roof cavities and walls, despite being recalled because of the fire and electrocution risks.

It presents a legal nightmare for businesses who have installed it, and in the months and years ahead there is every chance it will claim a life.

Master Electricians Australia (MEA) has been the lone voice representing the industry on this issue, calling for regulators and also the major retailer of the product to step up and ensure a genuine solution is put in place, rather than just a quick fix to make the problem go away.

Since MEA’s high profile media campaign on this issue in October, the organisation has held a range of meetings with key stakeholders in an attempt to hammer out a solution that will protect consumers and support contractors to replace the faulty product. www.masterelectricians.com.au

Late last year, CEO Malcolm Richards met with Masters Home Improvement Managing Director, Melinda Smith and their In-house Counsel to discuss a strategy for the removal and replacement of the cable in affected homes.

Mr Richards told Masters Home Improvement he was disappointed with its apparent inaction in regards to the recall, and its reluctance to communicate with the industry about a coordinated response.

“At the meeting, Masters Home Improvement made a commitment to actively work with MEA and our members to develop a strategy for the removal and replacement of Infinity branded cable as a priority,” Mr Richards said.

“We agreed to form a working group to analyse the circumstances that led up to the recall and develop a plan of action to prevent similar electrical safety issues escalating to such a critical level in the future.

“However, this is by no means a long-term fix, and we will continue to work with Masters Home Improvement to ensure these commitments result in genuine action.”

21

MEA’s legal adviser, Ian Heathwood of McKays Solicitors, warned contractors who had installed the cables were likely to have significant legal problems.

“Where the wiring has been installed in houses or other types of residences at the request of the homeowner, the homeowner will be able to force you to remove and replace it, at your cost,” Mr Heathwood said.

“If you don’t they can sue you on a number of bases including breach of Australian Consumer Law (which requires goods to be free of defects) and under the law of contract (which requires all building work to comply with all relevant statutory requirements).

“Where you have supplied the cabling under a subcontract with a builder, the same legal obligations will apply so long as the contract between you and the builder was for less than $40,000.

“If it was for more than $40,000 the Australian Consumer Law will not apply but the duty to comply with all statutory duties will.

“Where you are a subcontractor the homeowner will sue the builder who will then sue you.

“We agreed to form a working group to analyse the circumstances that led up to the recall and develop a plan of action to prevent similar electrical safety issues escalating to such a critical level in the future.”

“In the worst case scenario where a fire is caused by the cabling then claims can be made for damages such as the cost of replacing the home or the part of the house which has been damaged by the fire.”

does not apply. You will need to check your contract with your supplier for any such exclusion clause.

Mr Heathwood said with the product manufacturer, Infinity Cable Pty Ltd, having gone into liquidation – apparently without insurance – there was no point attempting to sue the manufacturers.

“Also, if you are sued by a homeowner or builder you will be able to join the supplier into that court proceeding to recover from the supplier the amount you have to pay to the builder or homeowner.”

“The good news is that you are able to insist that the supplier reimburse you for any such costs you incur.

Mr Heathwood said contractors who were sued or threatened with a law suit should first contact their insurers to see whether they are covered.

“If the supplier refuses, you can, in most cases, sue the supplier to recover the costs that you incur as a result of the defective cabling – as long as the contract was for less than $40,000.

“However, even where the contract was for more than $40,000, the contractual obligation that the goods comply with all relevant statutory obligations will still apply so long as any written contract between you as the electrical contractor and the supplier, such as Masters Home Improvement, does not provide that such a term

“For those electrical contractors who are not covered by insurance, it would be better for those who are facing claims, to get together in a group action to try to force the suppliers to do the right thing and if they won’t, to sue the suppliers as a group, as a pre-emptive strike.

It is best to be proactive. McKays Solicitors recommend that you get on the front foot and for further information or advice contact Ian Heathwood from McKays on (07) 3223 5942 or email iheathwood@mckayslaw.com.

The Master Electrician

Summer 2014

22

meet a master electrician Name: Thomas & Liz Humphrys-Glynn Company: THG Electrical State: South Australia Status: Accredited Master Electrician ins and outs of a difficult trade, all the way through as they go on to be fully qualified electricians.

What motto do you like to do business by?

Tom: If it ain’t hard, it ain’t worth doing!

Liz: Behind every successful man is a supportive and devoted woman.

As a husband and wife team, what are some of the joys and challenges of working together?

Tom: Working as a partnership certainly has its pros and cons! More often than not we work really well together and motivate each other to succeed. It’s great to be able to recognise each other’s successes when we are part of the same team – when only one of you is in the business a lot of the smaller achievements can go unnoticed.

THG Electrical husband and wife team Tom and Liz Humphrys-Glynn share what makes not just a business, but a partnership work.

Tell us a bit about where you grew up.

Tom: I grew up in a family of five children, in a town called Parrakie in country South Australia. I lived on a farm and have always been a hands-on type of person.

My parents still live on the farm and I like to get back there whenever possible.

Liz: I grew up in a country town called Mintaro, Clare Valley. It’s a beautiful part of the world. I feel very fortunate to have lived on a farm there with my mum, dad and three sisters.

As a child, what were your career aspirations?

Tom: As a child I was interested in sport, riding motorbikes and farming. It wasn’t until year eight or nine when I did some work experience for a week with a local electrician that my sparky aspirations began! That led to a part-time job as an electrician’s trade assistant during the school holidays. www.masterelectricians.com.au

Liz: My career aspirations change fairly frequently. My mum is a teacher so I always thought I would like to teach and then I went through a phase where I wanted to be a hairdresser and an air hostess and later on had aspirations of being a speech pathologist and more recently working in events management.

What is most rewarding about your job?

Tom: The fact that we are running our own business and at the end of the day, all of our hard work is for our own benefit and our future. As a young team it has been exciting for us to venture into different business opportunities and prospects that have come our way, knowing that we have the support of each other as a partnership as well as a passionate and enthusiastic team of employees.

Liz: It has been extremely rewarding employing apprentices from day one of their apprenticeships and being able to mentor them and help them learn the

Liz: We are getting to the stage where we are very confident with the people we employ and the work we are delivering, which makes it easier to take time off as we know everything will run smoothly even without us there. What we do find challenging, as other business owners would understand, is being able to switch off from work mode at the end of the day. We often apply a ‘no work talk’ rule in the house!

What’s your favourite weekend or holiday activity?

Tom: I love to pack up the car and go camping or fishing, preferably out of phone range! This is a great way to get out and spend some time away from work. I love holidaying at Port Elliott in January, we always holidayed there as kids and it has become a bit of a tradition.

Liz: I love spending time with family and friends. We have a great group of friends and very supportive families. We love entertaining and enjoying good food and wine. We have a Golden Retriever Ollie who loves the water, so we go to the beach whenever we can. Beach holidays are a popular choice for me, as well as interstate travel to Melbourne and Sydney for weekend getaways when time permits.

23

benefit spotlight

Comsure – the electrical industry insurance experts When you’re self employed, the buck stops with you. This can be as stressful as it is rewarding, so preparing for financial continuity during hard times can be as important to your business as developing client relationships or safety procedures.

Knowing you have support

mechanisms in place for those unexpected bumps in the road can lighten your load, leaving you free to focus on the day-today demands of growing and running your business.

Finding the right insurance, as well as financial and commercial advice specific to your industry and for your company can be crucial to the ongoing stability of your business.

Finding it all in one place can be invaluable.

“Our original claim was denied so Comsure put up a fight, appealed the claim on our behalf and won. It saved us $6,000!”

Comsure Insurance Brokers have 40 years experience working with trades and construction, offering customised insurance programs, specialised risk analysis and tailored financial advice to businesses of all sizes across Australia.

Comsure has been a corporate partner of Master Electricians Australia (MEA) since 2008, and in that time has provided more than 2,000 members with access to comprehensive and competitive insurance cover tailored to the electrical industry.

“The partnership gives our members access to the competitive advantage of Comsure’s experience and industry knowledge,” says MEA CEO Malcolm Richards.

Amongst its many services, Comsure offers insurance program advice and design, claims management, superannuation, benefits and investment advice, risk management and contingency planning.

Comsure CEO Steve Hamill said they believe in the benefit of a full service offering.

“When we work with a member’s business across the board, we can better understand your risks and how to minimise them, as well as your opportunities and how to maximise them”.

MEA member, Brent Hayes from Brent Hayes Electrical has been with Comsure for more than six years.

“We took up a policy with Comsure on the recommendation of MEA and we are glad we did because it has been there for us when we needed it most,” Hayes says.

“A few years back we had a house full of uninstalled light fittings that were stolen.

Our original claim was denied so Comsure put up a fight, appealed the claim on our behalf and won. It saved us $6,000!

“Without the assistance of the Comsure claims department and a good policy, we could not have got through this. Policies

“I would recommend Comsure to anyone. Their policies give you plenty of coverage and can help you get out of sticky situations.”

today can be complex and business owners need to ensure that you are getting the right specialised insurance advice for your business.

“I would recommend Comsure to anyone. Their policies give you plenty of coverage and can help you get out of sticky situations.”

As Brett Hayes’ experience shows, taking out a specialised insurance policy can give business owners confidence knowing they are adequately covered so they can get on with the job.

Comsure has the knowledge, research capabilities and industry relationships to deliver realistic and expert advice to all types of trade business, from small independent contractor’s right through to large multi-state franchises.

Master Electricians members can find out more about how Comsure can help you gain the competitive advantage, by contacting (07) 3839 5450 or email comsure@comsure.com.au.

You can also visit their website at www.comsure.com.au The Master Electrician

Summer 2014

24

news from the distributors Ergon Energy

CARE PROGRAM TO BENEFIT INGHAM COMMUNITY

QLD

A $4 million project to install underground powerlines in parts of the Ingham CBD will significantly improve electricity supply during the storm and cyclone season, said an Ergon spokesman.

Reliability Enhancement (CARE) program where critical powerlines supplying key community infrastructure are being undergrounded to reduce the risk of severe storm and cyclone damage.

“Approximately 15 km of powerlines are being undergrounded in Lannercost, Herbert and Anne Streets to supply power to Hinchinbrook Shire Council Hall, two supermarkets, a fast food outlet and the local cane growers association offices.

“These businesses provide essential and important services to the community especially in times of severe storms or cyclones which could cause network damage and widespread power interruptions. They help the community to access goods and services which is dependent upon power and start the process of returning to normality after severe weather events,” Mr Ryan said.

General Manager Service Delivery Northern Paul Ryan said the project is part Ergon Energy’s Cyclone Area

The existing overhead network supplying these businesses will remain in place.

Queensland Energy Minister Mark McArdle congratulated Ergon on the project saying the works were an important step in ensuring reliable electricity supply.

“While severe weather may still affect power, CARE improvements although not cyclone proofing, are designed to allow faster restoration of power to key community facilities and to some extent mitigate the impacts of cyclones or severe storms upon communities,” Mr McArdle said.

The project is expected to have concluded in January and is a continuation of other CARE projects undertaken at Ingham.

CARE projects to protect selected high voltage powerlines in key sections of Ergon’s network have been undertaken in high risk cyclone-prone communities from Mackay north to Cairns since 2001.

Visit www.ergon.com.au for more information.

CitiPower/ Powercor

VIC

TALKING ELECTRICITY CitiPower and Powercor Australia recently launched Talking Electricity, an interactive customer and stakeholder website.

The website will be a one-stop-shop to stay updated, informed and aware of the organisation’s activities, as it develops its 2016-2020 business plans and regulatory proposals.

As a regulated utility, CitiPower and Powercor Australia’s prices are approved by the Australian Energy Regulator (AER).

Every five years the organisation needs to provide proposals to the AER which detail its forecast work programs and revenue requirements. The AER then assesses its proposals and makes www.masterelectricians.com.au

a decision on the revenues or prices it can earn or charge during that five year period.

Brent Cleeve, General Manager Regulation, said the aim was to provide customers and stakeholders with the opportunity to influence the direction of their business plans.

“We want to listen to their views and ideas, understand how the changes in the energy sector will impact them, and hear what their desired outcomes are, so that we can provide services and outcomes that best serve their needs,” Mr Cleeve said.

“Over the next 12 months customers and stakeholders will be invited to participate in a number of activities, including regional engagement forums, asset tours, surveys and focus groups, which will enable us to gauge their views and gather input which will help shape our future business plans and our regulatory proposals.”

Visit www.talkingelectricity.com.au for more information.

25

Western Power

DIAL BEFORE YOU DIG GETS AUTOMATED

WA

Western Power’s automated Dial Before You Dig (DBYD) service has now gone live – saving customers time and improving public safety.

Dial Before You Dig is a referral service for information on locating underground utilities anywhere in Australia.

The service allows customers to submit DBYD requests 24/7 via the web or an iPhone application and receive an automatic response within minutes.

Western Power’s Data Management and Quality Manager Andy Neemann said this is a much more efficient process for customers.

“We previously had to manually process each enquiry, which could take us a few days,” Mr Neemann said.

“The automated service allows our customers to send the enquiry from site and receive a response about the location of our underground assets almost straight away.”

“This will enable our fault repair teams to access DBYD information immediately

during emergency response periods and will be useful for our design teams when out in the field to aid in making decisions for the best design route.”

Western Power joins other utilities such as Telstra, Water Corp and ATCO Gas in providing an automated DBYD response.

Visit www.1100.com.au for more information.

The Master Electrician

Summer 2014

26

Ausgrid/Endeavour Energy/ Essential Energy

NSW

YOUR POWER, YOUR SAY A new social media campaign is giving NSW households a voice in the future operations of the State’s three electricity networks.

The Your Power, Your Say Facebook campaign is an initiative of Ausgrid, Endeavour Energy and Essential Energy to gain direct access to the views and priorities of their customers, offering a new way for electricity consumers to have a say on the service delivery of an essential utility.

The campaign kicks off with a focus on reliability – seeking comment on how much consumers are willing to pay to reduce blackouts and how they would like to be informed when the power goes out.

Subsequent weeks will focus on issues including electricity prices, street lighting, energy efficiency and demand management.

Questions and comments posted on the Your Power, Your Say page will be responded to by the networks who will also run polls to establish what their customers priorities are, with the feedback received helping steer the day-to-day operations of the networks.

The Your Power, Your Say campaign can be accessed via Facebook at www.facebook.com/YourPowerYourSay

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27

ElectraNet

SA SOUTH AUSTRALIA TO VICTORIA ELECTRICITY TRANSMISSION INTERCONNECTOR

The Australian Energy Regulator (AER) has released a determination on the proposal by ElectraNet and the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) to upgrade the South Australia to Victoria (Heywood) electricity transmission interconnector.

ElectraNet submitted a request to the AER on 5 April 2013 for a determination on whether the investment option selected in the ‘South Australia – Victoria (Heywood) Interconnector Upgrade project assessment conclusions report’ satisfies the Regulatory Investment Test for Transmission, under the National Electricity Rules.

The AER found that the option identified by ElectraNet and AEMO in their report provides the maximum economic benefits, and satisfies the requirements of the investment test.

ElectraNet and AEMO found increasing the Heywood interconnector’s transfer capability will deliver net market benefits of $190 million over the long term. A key market benefit is higher use of lower cost generators, such as wind in South Australia and base-load capacity in Victoria. Increases in these sources of generation displace higher fuel cost generation from new and existing generators in South Australia and New South Wales.

This determination means ElectraNet can apply to the AER for an allowance for the cost of the Heywood interconnector upgrade to be included in charges during the 2013–2018 period. ElectraNet made this application to the AER on 13 December 2013. The AER will review ElectraNet’s proposal and decide how much it would be allowed to charge to recover the efficient costs attributable to the upgrade.

This information has been provided by ElectraNet and the AER. Visit www.aer.gov.au for more information.

The upgrade, which involves new equipment at Heywood near the Victorian border and reinforcing and reconfiguring the network in the south-east of South Australia, would increase the capability of the network to transfer electricity between the two regions.

“A stronger interconnector at Heywood would increase energy flows between South Australia and Victoria, especially in peak times when prices can be volatile. The interconnector upgrade would introduce further competition for generators, and would enable consumers in both regions to access cheaper sources of energy,” AER Chairman Andrew Reeves said.

Energy Super is the leading industry superannuation fund for people who work in the energy industry. Run only to benefit members, Energy Super puts you firstgenerating wealth for your future and financial freedom.

We are a platinum-rated* $5 billion industry superannuation fund with around 49,000 members, and offer you flexible retirement savings solutions and professional advice so you can build practical strategies to help secure the future lifestyle you want.

For more information on the services that Energy Super offers visit energysuper.com.au or call us on 1300 4 Energy (1300 436 374).

Electricity Supply Industry Superannuation (Qld) Ltd (ABN 30 069 634 439 AFSL 224952) is the Trustee and issuer of Energy Super (ABN 33 761 363 685).

A product Disclosure Statement (PDS) is available from energysuper.com.au/pds or by calling 1300 4 ENERGY (1300 436 374). Before making an investment decision you should consider the PDS and whether Energy Super is right for you. If you need assistance, talk to one of our financial advisors. *Ratings provided by SuperRatings Pty Ltd (ABN 95 100 192 283 AFSL 311880). Ratings are only one factor to be considered when making investment decisions. Refer to the How Do We Compare page at energysuper.com.au for more information about the rating and the rating scale.

The Master Electrician

Summer 2014

28

regulator wrap up the latest state news from regulators

Electrical Safety Office

QLD

CHANGES TO LOW VOLTAGE SWITCHBOARD RESCUE TRAINING The Electrical Safety Regulation 2013 now requires anyone acting as a safety observer for live electrical work to be competent to assist the person performing the work. They must have been assessed within the last six months to be competent in both rescue and resuscitation (the CPR component).

In addition, there is a general requirement for rescue and resuscitation for those workers who perform or help with electrical work.

Until recently, Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) offering accredited low voltage switchboard rescue training issued a statement of attainment in 39253QLD Course in Low Voltage Electrical Work Rescue upon successful completion of the training. This course expired on 17 July 2013, so many RTOs are now likely to offer this training under the national unit of competency UETTDRRF06B Perform rescue from a live LV panel which replaces it.

Visit www.training.gov.au to view the details of this competency.

This change does not affect the resuscitation component that accompanies this training as it is already delivered under a national unit of competence.

Fair Trading

TRADE CONSUMERS POLLED

NSW

In late 2013, Fair Trading NSW commissioned market research into consumer behaviour when hiring a tradesperson, surveying 1,000 NSW home owners who had used a tradesperson in the past 18 months.

Every year Fair Trading receives more than 200 complaints and enquiries about unlicensed tradespeople.

In NSW, a tradesperson must be licensed to do home building work over $1,000.

In addition, a tradesperson must also be licensed to carry out any electrical, plumbing, gas fitting, refrigeration and air conditioning work regardless of the price.

Below are some of the key findings for tradespeople.

High awareness of licensing Almost all home owners know that electricians, plumbers and gas-fitters need a licence to operate in NSW.

www.masterelectricians.com.au

Risk taking by not checking for licensed tradies One in four home owners did not check if the tradesperson they used was licensed, and many homeowners were not aware they can check a tradesperson’s license via the NSW Fair Trading website.

Word of mouth is best marketing Word of mouth is the most common source of information used to find a tradesperson with 44 per cent of home owners using this method. This is followed by repeat use of a tradesperson used in the past (36 per cent). Around a quarter of home owners will use Google or the local newspaper to find a tradesperson.

Business reputation is very important Around three quarters of home owners say that a business’ reputation is particularly important when they choose a tradesperson. Around 50 per cent of home owners say it is also important that the business is local. The business size, history and website are of less importance.

Visit www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au for more information.

29

Energy Safe Victoria

VIC

DO YOU KNOW YOUR NO GO ZONES? Too often we see electrical workers injured in accidents that simply wouldn’t happen if ‘No Go Zones’ were properly observed.

For example, in a tragic accident late last year two signage workers were severely injured after making contact with a 22,000 volt line. The workers were undertaking work on a billboard, accessing it by a truck-mounted elevated work platform that was located under the electric line and operating in contravention of the No Go Zone framework. The two men received significant electrical burns when a length of aluminium fixing material being handled made contact with the 22,000 volt

line. They are still recovering from severe injuries that will have a lasting impact on their lives.

Work planned to occur inside of the No Go Zone requires a Permit to Work by the owner of the overhead electric line. The permit will prescribe conditions required for work in the vicinity of the lines to occur, including the use of trained registered spotters and electrical isolations of the asset through various types of electrical work, required to be done by the asset owner to allow the proposed work to occur.

WorkSafe and Energy Safe Victoria (ESV) developed and support the No Go Zone framework that requires particular distances to powerlines be maintained, incorporates appropriate use of spotters and enables Permits to Work. All the information can be found at www.worksafe.vic.gov.au or www.esv.vic.gov.au. With the right

precautions accidents like the one described should not happen.

From high voltage powerlines to the humble gas barbecue, ESV sees so many preventable accidents. Over summer they launched a fresh new Look before you cook barbecue safety campaign that has been running in cinemas and print publications. The ad – which conveys an important safety message in a light-hearted way, has been a hit so far and includes a very clear demonstration of how to check barbecue connections for leaks using soapy water.

ESV has recently set up a new Facebook page where they will be posting news and safety information. It’s a great way to stay in touch with them in addition to their other communications. If you ‘like’ their page and they will send you a Stay Alive – Never Work Live t-shirt!

Contracting Industry Redundancy Trust CIRT was established in 1990 to provide employers in the Queensland electrical construction industry with services to meet the changing requirements for redundancy. The Contributions are held in trust for this purpose.

If you require specific information regarding contributions, payments and the benefits we offer, please either contact us on the numbers below or visit our website.

CIRT ONLINE

www.cirt.com.au

As a CIRT employer, you may be eligible for training subsidies from JETCO to assist in maintaining or upgrading the electrical industry related skills of your workforce.

Listed below are some of the courses that can be subsidised: Cert IV in Electrical Instrumentation

Telecommunications

Cert IV in Hazardous Areas

First aid and Resuscitation

Low voltage switchboard rescue

And many more

For all CIRT and JETCO enquiries contact the administrators Brisbane Local Call Fax E-mail JETCO

(07) 3506 7788 1300 200 123 (07) 3506 7700 enquiries@cirt.com.au (07) 3506 7787

Postal Address: CIRT Administration C/- Malcolm V Leeke & Co PO Box 42, EVERTON PARK QLD 4053

The Master Electrician

Summer 2014

30

regulator wrap up

EnergySafety

OVERHEAD POWERLINES WARNING A spate of seven serious incidents in 2013 prompted WorkSafe and EnergySafety’s latest warning about the risks and consequences of working near overhead powerlines.

WorkSafe Commissioner Lex McCulloch said he was disappointed with the 2013 incidents causing injury and risking lives.

“Working near overhead powerlines carries a serious risk to the health and safety of workers and others,” he said.

“The overhead powerline risk is recognised and safety procedures well established. Ignoring or short cutting safe procedure is reckless and dangerous.

“WorkSafe will investigate workplace incidents to save lives and prosecute if it is necessary,” said the Commissioner.

Visit www.energysafety.wa.gov.au for more information.

Serious overhead powerline incidences in 2013

WA

June Electrical injury occurred when a fence railing was raised making contact with 22kV overhead powerline in Baldivis.

A contractor received an electrical shock when a street light pole was manoeuvred into contact with an 132kV overhead powerline on the Australind bypass.

A crane made contact with a 22kV powerline in Riverton.

July Severe electrical injury occurred when a mobile work platform was elevated into a 22kV overhead powerline in Serpentine.

August A crane made contact with high and low voltage overhead powerlines in Balcatta.

September A crane operator at a building site in White Gum Valley swung his jib into an overhead 132kV powerline. The crane operator remained safe in the cab but workers on the ground were at serious risk of electrical injury from large metal objects becoming ‘live with electricity’.

Severe electrical injury resulted when a grain auger made contact with 132kV overhead powerline in Hope Valley.

www.masterelectricians.com.au

31

The Essential Services Commission

SA

DRAFT DECISION FLOATED In late November 2013 The Essential Services Commission (the Commission) released a draft decision on the proposed jurisdictional service standards and Guaranteed Service Level scheme to apply

to SA Power Networks for the 2015–2020 regulatory period.

Based on South Australian customers’ satisfaction with current service levels, the Commission proposed to set reliability and customer service standards and targets to maintain the average historical levels of service provided by SA Power Networks for the coming regulatory period.

The Commission’s state-based Guaranteed Service Level scheme will continue (with the payment levels adjusted

to reflect the change in Consumer Price Index since they were first set), and will include an additional tier for outages of greater than 48 hours.

The Commission invited submissions from all members of the community on this draft decision in January 2014 and intends to release its final decision in April 2014.

Visit www.escosa.sa.gov.au to find out more about the SA Power Networks Service Standard Framework 2015 to 2020.

The LUX sensor Control up to 50 ballasts with no additional power supplies

NCC compliant (Former BCA)

Available in recessed & surface mount

Additional relay output & time delay control

Onboard LEDs give up to date status and operation of sensor

The

Remote programmable & easy installation

CdS-DALI/DSI

from iAutomation offers a sophisticated simplicity in sensor technology.

Working in harmony with natural light levels, the CdS-DALI/DSI intuitively dims light fittings up, down or off, in turn maximising energy reduction. Programming is easy. Just set lux levels and run times and you are done ! www.iautomation.com.au 1800 225 063

www.masterelectricians.com.au

The Master Electrician

Summer 2014

32

lifestyle

Top sparky vacationer Last issue, The Master Electrician asked readers the ultimate summer vacation question, “How do you R & R?”

Readers nationwide submitted their best summer getaway photos and it looks as though sparkies certainly know how to have fun in the sun!

From waterskiing to kite-surfing, we received fantastic entries submitted by pro vacationers from across the country.

We let you decide who claimed the throne of top sparky vacationer.

And the results are in!

Congratulations to Glenn Wallace from Platinum Electrical Contractors – Mildura!

Your summer getaway photo scored the most number of likes on MEA’s Facebook page. Get ready to embark on a fabulous Electrical Industry Conference getaway valued at over $2,000 on us!

Winning image “We spent time down on the mighty Murray River with family and friends enjoying skiing, camping and fishing.

The kids loved riding their bikes and the adults enjoyed doing not much for a couple of days!”

Glenn Wallace, Platinum Electrical Contractors – Mildura

Check out what shenanigans other readers got up to over their summer vacation.

www.masterelectricians.com.au

You’re in the club!

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Yours for free, courtesy of Lawrence & Hanson

34

the interview

Malcolm Turnbull Just before Christmas, Federal Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull outlined the results of the Government’s strategic review of the National Broadband Network rollout.

The review recommended the project be completed using “a mix of technologies” which it says will save $32 billion, keep monthly bills lower and deliver the network four years sooner than previously planned. Here are Mr Turnbull’s answers to some of the key questions about the future of this important piece of national infrastructure.

The mix of technologies includes fibre-to-the-node (FTTN), coaxial cable and ‘vectored VDSL’ – a technology not previously deployed in Australia. The involvement of the electrical contracting industry will be critical to implementing this roll-out and completing the NBN on time.

What is vectored VDSL and how does it work?

Vectored VDSL (or very high-speed digital subscriber line) is a noise-cancelling technology that allows faster broadband speeds to be delivered over a copper line.

All DSL technologies (including ADSL, ADSL2+ VDSL and VDSL2) are subject to two major impediments: attenuation (length of the copper line) and cross talk or ‘noise’ (signal interference from adjacent services on a copper bundle). Vectoring technology eliminates the signal interference or noise within a copper bundle and therefore the signal is stronger and data speeds greater.

Data from operator trials in Europe indicate that vectoring has led to a two times increase in data rates over a copper length of 500 metres.

What speed levels are available over FTTN and hybrid fibre coaxial networks? How does this vary from the speeds offered under the previous fibre-to-thepremises plan?

The Strategic Review notes that NBN Co is likely to deploy a technology known as ‘vectored VDSL’ over the fibre-tothe-node network. Vectored VDSL has not been deployed in Australia and therefore actual speeds need to be fully assessed.

However, experience from Europe (adjusted for the Australian copper gauge) suggests that a very high proportion of vectored VDSL premises can receive minimum download speeds of 50 megabits per second (Mbps). Field tests will be needed to determine actual performance, and speed outcomes will depend of the ability to consistently deploy vectoring for all lines at a node.

Hybrid fibre coaxial networks in Australia already deliver download speeds of up to 100 Mbps and can be upgraded to reduce the amount of contention (that is – the reduction in performance due to

A recent study in the United Kingdom (UK) estimated that the median household in the UK today requires maximum download speed of eight Mbps.

The study estimated that by 2023, even as new applications (such as over-thetop video and cloud computing) become more widespread, the required maximum download speed is forecast to grow to around 20 Mbps for median households and around 40 Mbps for the top one per cent of households. www.masterelectricians.com.au

35

shared usage of the network) and will use the latest Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification technology to deliver higher speeds.

What will happen to the copper network in areas where the NBN is using existing hybrid fibre coaxial networks?

The Strategic Review assumes that for areas where Hybrid Fibre Coaxial (HFC) network services are offered, existing customers will be migrated from the copper network to the HFC network.

Future migration arrangements will be subject to commercial renegotiation with Telstra. The Government has not yet made a policy decision about the possible decommissioning of the copper and these issues will be considered in the forthcoming Cost-Benefit Analysis and Regulatory Review.

How will the network cope with increases in bandwidth demand into the future?

The Strategic Review notes that forecasting future increases in bandwidth requirements (i.e. what speeds will be required for specific uses) and demand (i.e. what speeds consumers will be willing to pay for) is difficult.

However, it noted that a recent study in the United Kingdom (UK) estimated that the median household in the UK today requires maximum download speed of eight Mbps. The study estimated that by 2023, even as new applications (such as over-the-top video and cloud computing) become more widespread, the required maximum download speed is forecast to grow to around 20 Mbps for median households and around 40 Mbps for the top one per cent of households.

The Strategic Review’s recommended approach of utilising a mix of technologies including FTTN and hybrid fibre coaxial (HFC) to serve the fixed-line footprint is capable of providing download speeds of around 50 Mbps which suggests that upgrades to the FTTN and HFC network would not be needed before 2023.

What happens when the network needs upgrading?

The Strategic Review found that all scenarios being considered for the fixed-line footprint (i.e. majority of premises not serviced by the fixed wireless or satellite networks) provide a clear upgrade path to higher speeds and better quality of service for all premises served.

The Strategic Review noted that the upgrade paths for the FTTN network that can be foreseen at this time include fibre-tothe-distribution-point, and fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) which are capable of delivering speeds of up to 1,000 Mbps (tests of emerging G.Fast technology have shown speeds of up to 1,000 Mbps over short copper loops of 100 metres).

The Strategic Review found that it is more economical to first build FTTN and then upgrade later if the FTTN network is used for more than five years before upgrading and the distribution fibre can be re-used.

Won’t deploying different technologies entrench a ‘digital divide’ among Australians?

The so-called ‘digital divide’ is not between people on very fast broadband and very, very fast broadband – it is between people with

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The Master Electrician

Summer 2014

36 broadband and nothing. The biggest causes of a ‘digital divide’ are not only access to a broadband service but also high prices.

The bottom fifth of income earners are almost seven times more likely to have not accessed the Internet than those in the top fifth (Source: ABS, online here). The approach recommended by the Strategic Review is expected to deliver broadband infrastructure to more premises much sooner.

By 2019, the Strategic Review’s recommended approach is forecast to deliver download speeds of 50 Mbps to 91 per cent of premises in the fixed-line footprint, compared to 57 per cent for the revised outlook of the previous Government’s policy.

The previous NBN Corporate Plan stated the peak funding would be $44.1 billion. Now the review has found it will be much higher. Why has the cost increased so much?

The Strategic Review has found that the total peak funding required to complete the NBN as per the previous Government’s policy would be $72.6 billion. The Strategic Review has found that the previous projections were “extremely optimistic” and very unlikely to be achieved.

The funding costs have increased due to: • A better understanding of the design and construction complexity and costs • Increase in current construction rates and expected future increases • Significantly reduced revenues to 2021, from $23 billion to $10 billion

• More realistic productivity improvements and efficiency savings over the rollout (i.e. peak productivity expected to be achieved in 2017 and 2018 only rather than every year as in the current Corporate Plan) • Continuing the trend of historical cost increases at completion compared to initial estimates • Increased costs for the fixed wireless network.

How can the Government be sure of the costs of rolling out a FTTN network, when the NBN has only rolled out FTTP in the fixed line footprint to date?

The Strategic Review has undertaken extensive analysis of the cost to rollout a FTTN network including comparison with international benchmarks. The projected costs include detailed assumptions to remediate the copper network where necessary.

The Strategic Review has also factored in a larger contingency than was previously considered to ensure there is less risk of cost overruns – the contingency has been increased from 10 per cent to 20 per cent.

How long will it take to rollout the network?

The rollout is expected to be completed by December 2020 under the Strategic Review’s recommended approach, compared to December 2024 for the revised estimate under the previous Government’s NBN policy.

The Government’s pre-election aim of ensuring that all Australians will have access to speeds of at least 25 megabits per second by 2016 was deemed unachievable. This was due to a number of reasons, including:

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37 • The fact that the current rollout was further behind schedule than previously thought. For instance, the previous Government publicly stated ahead of the election that the company would pass 1.129 million houses in brownfield areas with fibre by 30 June 2014. And yet the Strategic Review’s assessment is that the company can get to only 357,000 houses by that date.

The Strategic Review assessed that if the company continued to rollout a fibre to the premises network, it would be 2.6 million houses short of its mid-2016 target than its previous forecast in the 2012-15 Corporate Plan • The company will have to spend much of the next year fixing the ‘construction model’ to ensure that relationships with contractors are viable and profitable for both parties • It will take longer than forecast to transition to a new rollout model.

Some homes don’t have access to ADSL services because of limited availability of ports in the local exchange building. How will this be fixed on a FTTN network?

A FTTN network brings the fibre distribution network and electronic equipment (node) much closer to homes and businesses compared to current exchanges. The increased number and distribution of nodes compared to exchanges will greatly increase the capacity to provide high-speed broadband services to a greater number of premises.

What about houses in ‘pair-gain’ systems that can’t get an ADSL service?

Pair gains systems were widely introduced in Australia in the 1980s and 1990s, to increase the number of service lines that could be provisioned from a distribution point (known as a Remote Integrated Multiplexer). The ‘pair gains’ were on the ‘e-side’ of the network (i.e. from the exchange to the distribution point) meaning that there was no need to augment that section of the network as new services were added.

This was ideal for delivering multiple services to a single address (such as new fax lines) but meant that when ADSL was introduced, telecom carriers were extremely limited in the number of ports they were able to provision (as the ‘e-side’ pair gain could not carry multiple ADSL services).

A FTTN network is an ideal solution for fixing pair gain systems, because the ‘e-side’ copper is replaced with fibre and the RIM is either stranded, or augmented, with a new access node, from which new ADSL services can be provisioned.

What happens if the NBN can’t reach the mandated speed target of 50 megabits per second in certain areas because of the poor quality of the copper?

The Strategic Review’s recommended approach of utilising a mix of technologies, including FTTN, incorporates the costs associated with the remediation of copper lines required to deliver download speeds of 50 Mbps.

In certain areas, some premises can also be served by the hybrid fibre coaxial network, fibre-to-the-distribution point or the FTTP network.

The Master Electrician

Summer 2014

38

gadget guide

iSocket® GSM 707 Light The iSocket GSM 707 Light is designed to control electrical equipment remotely, making it very handy for those occasions when you suddenly remember you have left the air conditioning or iron turned on at home. This wireless power switch is controlled by SMS commands via the GSM network using a standard mobile phone. It is also possible to carry out some operations by a phone call as SIM cards from most GSM operators (including prepaid cards) can be installed in iSocket GSM 707 Light. ®

Main features of the iSocket include power off/fail notification, remote switching on/off electrical appliances and equipment, and three security levels.

RRP $199 Visit www.nasaustralia.com.au for more information.

Alcolizer HH3

My AquaNotes®

The new Alcolizer HH3 is specifically designed for commercial and industrial breath testing, and is suitable for flexible use around the workplace.

No more great ideas down the drain!

A new waterproof notepad, called AquaNotes® allows individuals to write down their thoughts and make notes in the shower or any wet environment.

Trusted by Australian and international Police Forces, all of Alcolizer Technology’s alcohol breath testers use the same highly responsive mini electrochemical fuel cell technology.

This easy to use, compact device features ‘night-time’ backlighting, data download capability, free recalibration software upgrades, on-screen recalibration notifications and rapid zero test recovery.

The Alcolizer HH series is an ideal unit for businesses and industries aiming to maintain a safe and capable workplace for employees.

RRP $795 Visit www.alcolizer.com for more information.

AquaNotes are made of waterproof paper that is recyclable, environmentally friendly and non-toxic. Each pencil is water resistant and is made with Incense Cedar wood, a responsibly harvested renewable resource meeting stringent environmental requirements. Soy-based ink and wind energy are used in the printing process.

The product is designed to withstand exposure to wet environments – water simply beads up and rolls off AquaNotes.

RRP $7 Visit www.myaquanotes.com for more information.

InstalTest Combo Single & 3 Phase Multi-Function Tester for All Your Electrical Installation Testing and Verification.

Replaces 5 instruments with 12 tests in one instrument.

Single & 3 phase installation testing to AS/NZS3017 covering earth continuity, insulation resistance, polarity, correct connections, fault loop impedance and RCD testing.

Optional 3 phase adaptors for safe, quick and reliable 3 phase testing from the 3 phase socket outlet - no need for probing!

InstalTest

COMBO 3125 $999 ex GST

Optional MI-TPI for 3 phase testing of RCDs, fault loop etc.

Call EMONA on tel: 1 800 632 953, email: testinst@emona.com.au or www.instaltest.com.au www.masterelectricians.com.au

39

techno biz

SolarGreen – IceSolair Solar Thermal Air Conditioner The Solar Thermal Air Conditioner takes the improvements made by inverter technology to the next level. By capturing thermal (ambient) energy, the amount of work the condenser does is reduced under full load and significantly extends the time the condenser is cycled off.

Solar Thermal Air conditioners absorb solar energy by using a thermal collector with copper heat conducting inner coils.

Solar Green’s air conditioners optimise energy savings and reduce running costs by up to 50 per cent.

Visit www.solargreen.net.au for more information.

Treotham Automation – Kilkseal

Clipsal by Schneider Electric – OptiLine Poles and Posts

Kilkseal is a revolutionary two-component grommet with cable anchorage used to provide mechanical protection to cables.

Clipsal by Schneider Electric’s OptiLine 70 Posts and Poles are a tidy and convenient cable management system. These cable management solutions deliver access to power, data and telephone cables.

It contains an integrated tension relief, wide sealing range and is suitable for holes in materials of 1.5mm to 5mm in thickness.

Klikseal is compact, self-adjusting to its surrounding wall thickness, can be click-fixed in place, is waterproof with a membrane seal and requires very little effort to install with its collapsible outer membrane, saving up to 90 per cent of time.

Klikseal also has a pop-out membrane that is a permanent seal until penetrated by a cable or pipe.

Visit www.treotham.com.au for more information.

Manufactured from durable anodised aluminium, with an attractive rounded design, OptiLine 70 Posts and Poles have been designed for use across a wide range of work areas.

The poles are fed from the ceiling and are movable within a radius of up to 1.5m from the connection point. Installation is easy, with a spring-loaded and adjustable ceiling fixing that allows for tension-mounting without the need for tools.

Visit www.clipsal.com or call 1300 202 525 for more information.

The Master Electrician

Summer 2014

40

technical talk

How much power is enough?

Maximum demand for the modern domestic dwelling With the cost of household electrical appliances decreasing and the plethora of new electrical products on offer to us, the electrical load or demand of a domestic residence has doubled in the last 40 years.

As the maximum demand of an electrical

installation is determined on variables such as capacity and physical distribution which can change over time, if we were to take a snapshot of a 1960s domestic home we would clearly see the maximum demand of a household increasing.

The comparisons on the next page clearly illustrate the rapid progress in consumer consumption.

The early 1950s and 60s were awash with technological products that could be afforded by the post war boom, which created wealth for most families. The 50s saw inventions like the vacuum cleaner, washing machine, refrigerator and simple home appliances that were financially within reach of most families.

However, to accommodate new electrical products, switchboards and cable www.masterelectricians.com.au

sizes needed to match the increase in power consumption.

Switchboards then and now A common 1960s switchboard consisted of five ceramic fuses, one light circuit, two power circuits, a stove and a hot water circuit. Also common were a main switch, a surface-mounted hot water isolator and the now-detested asbestos panel.

A single lighting circuit was sufficient as all rooms had a single 60 watt centre of the room light fitting.

Today, power points aren’t single anymore, the development of double and quad socket outlets have instead become the norm. With the increase in appliance usage and the economical cost of light fittings, cable usage has also risen accordingly.

The 50W halogen dichroic lamp and recessed light fittings has meant interior design using mood lighting has trebled the number of lights in most homes today. The standard front and back door outside lamps have been replaced by twin Par 38 fittings with the luxury of a light sensor.

More fixed appliances With the rise of Chinese and Korean manufacturing industries bringing economically affordable brown and white goods to the West, appliance numbers have significantly increased in homes.

A ceiling fan in every bedroom, heat lamps and light in both bathrooms, clothes dryers, dish washers, standalone freezers, sink garbage disposal and split system air conditioning have become the norm. Three air conditioning units all lining the side

41

Consumer electrical consumption 1960s

2010s

3 bedrooms

4–5 bedrooms Lighting

Incandescent lamps

CFL and LED lamps Power points

Washing machine

Washing machine

Swimming pool pump

Swimming pool pump & chlorinator

Refrigerator with ice box

Combination fridge/freezer

Television

Televisions (multiple)

Telephone

Hands-free telephones (multiple) Clothes dryer Dishwasher Personal computers (multiple) Mobile phone chargers (multiple) Game consoles Home theatre systems Hair dryers/shaver/toothbrushes Coffee machine Electric garage door Fixed Appliances

Stove

Cooktop (induction )

Window / wall mounted air-conditioner

Split-system/central air-conditioners

Hot water system

Heat pumps Oven (dual) Microwave oven (plug-in) Range hood Bathroom extraction fans/heat lamps

of a house is not an uncommon sight in suburban housing today.

It is easy to see how, in just a decade, the humble electrician-made switchboard has been required to evolve into the 24-way compact enclosures used today.

The humble power board The invention of the now common fourway power board has become a home necessity. Gone are the days of double adapters. With mobile phone usage on the rise and the hands-free cordless

telephone taking precedence over the hard wired Telstra handset, a power board is a must to accommodate so many chargers.

A look behind any television cabinet will reveal the inadequacy of a four-way power board to house sufficient power socket outlets for all lounge room appliances.

Future technology Technology advances have the ability to add and reduce the maximum power demand of a domestic home. This can be

demonstrated by the innovations towards electric vehicles, battery storage and solar electricity. One could negate the other.

The owner of an electric vehicle could potentially fully recharge storage batteries either at their workplace or at home during the evening. During the day, a solar energy source could store the required electricity in batteries for a transfer to the electric vehicle. The success of this technology will depend on the ability to lessen the maximum demand on the power grid and the cost of recharging.

Technology saves The maximum power demand of domestic homes has increased due to invention and innovation of products created to assist our modern lifestyles. To counter this increase in energy usage, technology needs to partially offset this growth. New materials and low cost manufacturing techniques have assisted in better efficiency. Many of today’s common appliances have become increasingly energy efficient.

Due to the ever-increasing energy consumption and rising electricity costs, the consumer and governments have driven a trend to develop appliances that use less energy. The Energy Star rating system has forced manufacturers to improve appliance efficiency. The investment in insulation development has been a major contributor to energy savings. New styrene foam and fibre glass formulae used in the insulation of refrigerators, air conditioning lagging, oven and hot water cylinder heat retention have saved appliance losses.

The Master Electrician

Summer 2014

42

The National Construction Code of Australia has improved the ability of thermal insulation to reduce the impact of the heat in summer to the cold in winter on our living environment. The advancement of solar energy in both the heating of water and electricity generation plus energy efficient lighting must considered a complement to the additional energy usage other technologies have created.

AS 3000:2007 Clause 2.2.2 Maximum Demand The Wiring Rules provides guidance on how to calculate within realistic boundaries the required amperage for any installation.

There are four distinct methods permitted when determining the size of cables that can safely be used. However these methods do not allow for the future needs of the owner. This very important consideration must be discussed with the owner at the time of construction.

Looking back in time, it is clear today’s home power consumption has certainly increased compared to a home built 20 years ago. www.masterelectricians.com.au

The effects of exceeding the maximum demand become apparent when, for instance, the main supply cables to a home become over-heated. Over a period of time the cables and the associated connections will deteriorate to such a degree that they will break, and a loss of power will result. In rare instances the overheating of the cables can produce a fire risk.

Excessive overload situations may cause the main fuse protection to activate requiring a fuse cartridge replacement or the resetting of a circuit breaker.

Since 2007 the Wiring Rules require the fitting of a current overload device to the incoming supply if the combined sum of all switchboard protection devices current ratings exceed the mains cable installed current rating.(AS/NZS 3000:2007, cl 2.5.1.1). In modern switchboards this is normally exceeded and an appropriate circuit breaker shall be installed.

What to do if an excessive overload happens?

Home owners need to understand the cause and seek qualified advice.

Many new homes are built to a price. To keep costs down, designers may not allow for the future needs of a customer and rely on the calculated minimum size of cables and this is not a contravention of the Wiring Rules.

The problem arises when the owner begins a process of installing additional electrical items. If fixed appliances are installed, the electrical contractor will reassess the electrical load requirements and check if the existing cables are capable of carrying the additional load. The upgrading of the supply cables is usually an expensive exercise which can exceed the cost of the new electrical items.

Older homes are also very susceptible to this problem. The buyer of an older home should consult an electrical professional to take into account any additional costs of upsizing the electrical supply, and the electrical safety by installing Safety Switches, when considering a purchase.

Technology has given the modern family a multitude of wonderful devices to enhance our lives but this comes at a cost. When you do eventually buy that new electric car, ask yourself, are you demanding too much of your power?

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44

feature business

The building blocks of a quality business Savvy customers understand that choosing the cheaper option, doesn’t necessarily make it a bargain. Brightwater business guru and coach Anthony Davis reveals his secrets to building a quality business your customers can trust.

When it comes to purchasing a car, we consider numerous features of a vehicle before making our selection. We understand that the value of a car comes not from its price, but from its components. What condition is the engine in? Does the car have a regular service history? What is the ANCAP safety rating?

This same concept applies to running a business. Customers understand that buying the cheapest product or choosing the cheapest service isn’t always the least costly in the long run.

Brightwater business guru and coach Anthony Davis says the key to business sustainability lies in not only understanding, but accepting, the ‘quality, service, price’ triangle.

“It would be close to impossible for a business to provide all three – best quality, best service, and cheapest price,” Mr Davis explains.

“As consumers ourselves we know that having the cheapest price on a product or service isn’t always the least costly when other aspects are factored in.

“As a seller, we need to value and focus on what we can provide, which is the quality and service of our business.

“For example, Master Electricians members who have reached Accreditation status may use this as their quality and service point of difference for their customers, reinforcing the benefits of a workmanship guarantee with a brand that consumers know and trust.” www.masterelectricians.com.au

A longitudinal study of Australian businesses conducted by the New England University discovered the two primary reasons for business failure were a lack of management expertise and nonexistent or inaccurate business records.

Mr Davis believes business failure can be avoided through two key things, proper management and sound advice from a reliable source.

“After working with many and varied businesses over the past 20 years, these two points are still valid in many businesses that I talk to,” he says.

Mr Davis explains a few mistakes start-up businesses often make include under-charging to win work, not establishing any quality standards and making the assumption that their business is the only one able to provide a particular service.

“Many of the common mistakes that people make in businesses can be grouped into lifecycle periods,” he says.

“During the ‘early growth’ period of a business, many fail to properly manage their cash flow or employ the right staff to fit their business needs.

“As a business matures, some fail to delegate their growing workload, taking on more than they can single-handedly manage, without building a succession plan.”

45

Brightwater’s Anthony Davis presenting a business coaching session

Mr Davis recalls one client who, despite his business managing millions of dollars in turnover, was barely generating any profit.

“We began systematically looking at the financial performance of his business department by department,” Mr Davis says.

Anthony Davis’ top ten tips for business sustainability 1. Acknowledge that you don’t know what you don’t know

“We documented all of the business systems, delegated responsibilities for gross profit performance, re-built the company’s human resource performance person by person and engaged the management team in building the company’s future vision.

2. Engage a Business Coach with proven and structured systems

“The company managed to not only return to profitability, it is now almost recession-proof.”

4. Document and use your Mission Statement

Often, it becomes difficult for a business to set itself apart from the rest of the industry. Mr Davis says a simple way to do this is to reinforce the benefits of your business to your customers.

“Coming from the same industry background as your competitors can make it difficult to differentiate yourself from other similar businesses,” he says.

“A great way to overcome this challenge is to ask yourself ‘what business am I in?’

“Notice this is not a question of ‘what does my business do?’ but rather a clarification of the value you add to your customers.

“Clearly defining an answer to this question can have a marked effect on how you market your products and services and how you communicate your benefit to your customers.”

Mr Davis says an important aspect of ensuring your business is built on quality is to consider the Brightwater Gauge Theory.

“Often, I speak to clients who have had bad experiences with a client or even an employee, or have worked on a job gone wrong.

In many cases, chances are the business owner had sensed that the end result would not be ideal, yet they went ahead with the job anyway,” he explains.

“The Brightwater Gauge Theory is a ‘letter gauge’ or template for a business in which the owner determines who or what ‘fits’ their business, or who doesn’t.

3. Create the model of your ideal business, be as explicit as possible

5. Document and use your Code of Conduct or Rules of the Game 6. Document the systems of your business 7. Be diligent with all of your financial transactions.

Get paid on time 8. Develop a workplace culture that you love being in 9. Let people make mistakes, they will learn and everyone improves 10. Due to its importance, I must reiterate – engage a Business Coach with proven and structured systems.

“Start with looking at your mission statement. This is the set of words that are used to describe ‘what fits’ your business best – the verbalisation of the Brightwater Gauge as applied to your business.

“Then consider your ideal suppliers, team members and customers.

In determining who and what fits, look at the qualities of the players as they are effectively the ones taking control of your business.

“Don’t forget, if a job seems too big for you to handle or is unsuitable for your business, you can say no!”

Brightwater Business Coaching can assist MEA members in all aspects of running and managing a successful business and delivering coaching and business development outcomes.

Contact Brightwater on 1800 242 366 or visit www.brightwater.com.au.

The Master Electrician

Summer 2014

46

workplace relations

Changes to the Fair Work Act – What employers need to know In the months leading up to last year’s federal election, with the assistance from the Greens, the former Labor Government passed a number of changes to the Fair Work Act through both houses of parliament.

These changes, combined with decisions from the Fair Work

risk to another worker’s health and safety. Thankfully, reasonable management action (e.g. performance management or disciplinary action) will not constitute bullying provided that the action is carried out in a reasonable manner.

The changes include:

The Commission can make a number of directions to any of the parties to stop the bullying, which may include directing companies to review their policies and procedures, provide additional information and training to their workers on bullying at the employer’s cost, or instructing an employee to cease and desist in the behaviour.

Commission means employers, HR managers, supervisors, payroll staff and employees will need to be aware of new rules, processes and claims that can affect them.

• A new anti-bullying jurisdiction within the Commission • Right of Entry entitlements for unions • New genuine consultation on changes to rosters and hours of work and • New junior and adult apprentice wages and conditions.

New anti-bullying measures Employers, employees, contractors, work experience students, volunteers and labour hire staff will now have to be aware that a worker (as defined under the safety laws) who reasonably believes that he/she has been bullied at work will be able to apply to the Fair Work Commission (the Commission) for an order to stop the bullying.

Until now, Australian employees have been protected from workplace bullying primarily through federal, state and territory work health and safety laws. However, the amendments to the Fair Work Act (the Act) have established a specific anti-bullying jurisdiction within the Commission to deal with bullying claims.

Under the Act, bullying is very broadly defined as repeated, unreasonable behaviour by an individual or group that creates a www.masterelectricians.com.au

Initially, the Commission cannot grant monetary compensation to a worker, however if an employer fails to follow the Commissions’ orders they can issue a fine against an employer.

The Commission has recently released its ‘Summary of the case management model’, shown on the next page. This demonstrates how the Commission plans to manage applications and how they will progress through the process to resolution.

What the model shows is that upon receiving a claim the Commission will conduct an information gathering process with the applicant that will include an assessment of the preparedness to participate in mediation. Once the Commission decides that there is enough merit in the application the employer and other respondents are informed.

There are some areas of concern for employers, including: • An employer may already be investigating a complaint

47

Flowchart of the anti-bullying process The Process Application is lodged with the Fair Work Commission

Application is allocated to the Anti-Bullying team for review

Application is served by the Fair Work Commission

The review can include: • Ensuring the application is complete and valid •

• The application will be served on the employer(s)/principal(s) and individual(s) • Responses will be sought to the application

Report is prepared

Mediation

Resolved and discontinued

Assigned to a Member for Preliminary Conference/Directions

Unresolved Matter further allocated by Panel Head

Hearing

Application dismissed

Orders to prevent bullying issued

Appeal by leave of Full Bench

• Multiple applications in other state, territory and/or federal jurisdictions may have been made by the worker about the same matter.

It is yet to be seen, however as it is possible for employers to become embroiled in a legal nightmare whilst trying to defend the claim.

Concerns for parties arise also in the area of how long applications will take as the Commission only has to ‘begin’ dealing with

Under the Act, bullying is very broadly defined as repeated, unreasonable behaviour by an individual or group that creates a risk to another worker’s health and safety.

Thankfully, reasonable management action (e.g. performance management or disciplinary action) will not constitute bullying provided that the action is carried out in a reasonable manner.

applications within 14 days. Protracted claims and processes will no doubt in some cases strain and possibly damage reputations of one or more of the parties in the process and the overall employment relationship. There is also limited action that can be taken in the event that a matter lodged by a party is vexatious in nature.

For employers and workers alike only time will tell how the system will cope and deal with the vast array of personalities, circumstances and opinions about complaints, however employers can do five simple things to assist themselves: 1. Develop an anti-bullying policy 2. Educate staff on the anti-bullying policy 3. Take complaints seriously and keep well documented records 4. Respond to the Commissions’ correspondence and requirements in a timely manner if received 5. Seek assistance from Master Electricians Australia (MEA) or other professional HR or legal advice as soon as you receive any notification from either a complainant or the Commission.

The Master Electrician Summer 2014

Published by the Fair Work Commission on 13 December 2013.

Panel Head assigns the matter

48

New Right of Entry Laws

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On 1 January 2014 the Right of Entry laws changed. There are three main changes in this area: 1. Union discussions with employees must be held in an area that the business and permit holder agree to, however in the event that there is no agreement, lunch rooms must be made available 2. The Commission will be able to deal with disputes about the frequency of visits 3. The Commission will be able to: a. Deal with disputes about accommodation and transport arrangements b. Ensure appropriate conduct by permit holders while they are receiving accommodation or being transported under the arrangements.

The changes to union discussions mandate that where an employer and the Union cannot agree on a location for where general discussions can be held, the Union will have default use of workplace lunchrooms. Given that in many workplaces union membership is in the minority, employers may consider making another area available for staff to eat their lunch if they do not wish to participate in the union held discussions.

For employers in the mining resources and gas industries the last two changes are of particular note as it will entitle unions access to camp accommodation in remote locations whereby there is no practicable alternative accommodation and that costs/charges to the union or permit holder shall only be enough to cover the reasonable expenses in providing that accommodation.

The Commission will also have the capacity to deal with disputes about the frequency of union entry to sites for discussion purposes where employers believe these visits “would require an unreasonable diversion of the occupier’s critical resources”.

Employers will have to demonstrate what an unreasonable diversion of critical resources is. MEA foresee that the Commission may view this to be a high threshold to be successful however only time will reveal the precedence in this area.

Consultation clause for ordinary hours and part-time The final orders for the consultation clause at the time of writing this article were not complete, however drafts from the Commission had been released for consultation. MEA expects the ‘genuine consultation’ requirements that currently apply in redundancy or major workforce change situations will flow on to changing rosters and part-time hours. As such, employers will now have to demonstrate genuine consultation. This may have an effect on employers, if a quick action to halt a non-profitable practice or a change in economic conditions is slowed due to the consultation requirements. In basic terms employers must now: • Give information to employees about the changes, and the expected effects the changes are likely to have on employees • Invite employees to express their views about how the changes will affect them • Consider the employees views.

Of concern to employers, the draft orders state that information should be released “as soon as practicable” and that consideration of employees’ responses should be “prompt”. MEA will be lobbying www.lh.com.au so that employers should only have to release information once a definite decision is made, that consideration should be given and www.masterelectricians.com.au

49 that the subjective issue about time should not form part of the final requirements for employers.

Apprentice wage conditions In past editions of The Master Electrician MEA have detailed the apprenticeship case which after some 18 months has now concluded for the electrical industry but continues in other trades and industries. In summary, the Commission has made the following changes to apprenticeship wage conditions that came into effect on 1 January 2014.

Junior apprentices New apprentices that are engaged on or after 1 January 2014 now have the following arrangements. Junior apprentices will be split into two groups. Apprentices that have completed year 12 will increase to 55 per cent of the trade rate by 1 January 2015.

Apprentices who have not completed year 12 will rise to 50 per cent of the trade rate by 1 January 2015. It is important to note that current apprentices do not qualify for these increases, however if employers engage a second year apprentice then these rates will apply to any new apprentices engaged after 1 January 2014

YEAR Year 1 (comp yr 12) Year 1 (otherwise) Year 2 (comp yr 12) Year 2 (otherwise)

CURRENT 1 Jan 2014 1 Jan 2015 % % % 40% 45% 55% 40% 45% 50% 52% 57% 65% 52% 57% 60%

For the first time in many states and territories, apprentices who commence or recommence their apprenticeship after their 21st birthday will now be paid as adult apprentices. New apprentices that are engaged on or after 1 January 2014 are now paid at 80 per cent of the tradesman rate with all remaining years to be paid the Electrical Worker (EW) Grade 1 rate with increases to allowances predominantly based on similar percentages.

YEAR

Rate 80% EW 1 EW 1 EW 1

1st Year 2nd Year 3rd Year 4thYear

MEA is yet to see how industry reacts to the above changes over the coming months however it is expected that there will be a large drop in apprentices over the age of 21.

Master Electricians members can contact the Workplace Relations Team on 1300 889 198 or go to www.masterelectricians.com.au for further information.

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The Master Electrician

Summer 2014

50

all about ME National licensing scheme disbanded Master Electricians Australia has welcomed the Council of Australian Governments decision that National Occupational Licensing Scheme will no longer go ahead. Accordingly, the National Occupational Licensing Authority will be disestablished in early 2014.

The announcement follows months of strenuous lobbying

by Master Electricians Australia (MEA) to state and federal governments opposing the proposed national licensing model for electrical occupations. The model put forward by the National Occupational Licensing Authority (NOLA) favoured a lowest common denominator approach that made unacceptable compromises on health and safety.

MEA CEO Malcolm Richards says while we have been very strong supporters of a national licensing regime, MEA believes it should be based upon the highest standards in the nation, not the lowest.

“The National Occupational Licensing Scheme (NOLS) would have reduced the overall level of safety and technical expertise in the electrical contracting industry and we had no confidence that

the national license would ensure contractors were adequately qualified to perform the dangerous work they are required to do.

“The consequences of making a mistake in the electrical sector can be fatal. MEA doesn’t believe the standards which have served Australia so well for many years should be weakened. “ In a letter to MEA, Commissioner Rod Stowe says the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) decided to dismiss NOLS following extensive state-based consultation and significant negotiations which identified a number of concerns with the licensing scheme.

“There were a number of issues raised with the proposed NOLS model which would not be resolved without imposing significant additional costs for governments and affected occupations,” Mr Stowe says.

“A lack of stakeholder consensus on the benefits of the proposed model was also a significant factor in COAG’s decision to abandon the plan.”

Mr Richards says the previous Federal Government’s headlong rush into a watered-down national licensing regime would have represented a significant reduction in professional standards in the electrical industry and put lives at risk.

“We couldn’t sit idly by and allow the proposed national licensing scheme for electrical contractors pass into law without registering our strongest possible warning about the likely consequences,” he says.

“So strong was our concern that we joined forces with the Electrical Trades Union to express no confidence in the draft scheme.

“We are thrilled COAG has listened to our serious concerns with this scheme and decided to pull the pin on the poorly planned policy.

“We have supported and engaged with the national licensing program for more than three years. However, as a result of the factors outlined above, the model became so badly broken that it couldn’t be fixed”, Mr Richards says.

The states have now agreed to work together to develop alternative options for minimising the licensing impediments to labour mobility across state and territory boarders.

MEA will support any future initiatives for a safer, better planned national licensing scheme but will always put the lives and safety of its members, the wider electrical contracting industry and their customers first.

www.masterelectricians.com.au

51

MEA’s Andrew Bailey presenting at the NBN Forum.

MEA’s NBN Forum helps generate work for members During October, November and December Master Electricians Australia travelled the country with NBN Co, Telstra and the International Copper Association Australia to provide members with the need-to-knows of the National Broadband Network roll-out.

Sponsored by CNW, these sessions provided contractors with the chance to speak with National Broadband Network (NBN) experts as well as the unique opportunity to ask questions and have them answered by our panel of speakers.

NBN Co kicked off the forums with key information on optical fibre in new developments and their expectations of builders and installers. Key points to be noted include:

in preparation for the installation of fibre optical cable. The installation is typically carried out by electrical contractors, in consultation with builders. The hard part is determining the final location of NBN equipment and the fitting of NBN enclosures to house the equipment. The absolute minimum is a socket outlet located near the termination of the conduit. See image on the next page for further information.

• New developments, where 100 premises or more are released over a three year period and will be eligible for fibre infrastructure from NBN Co. If fewer than 100, NBN Co may consider fibre infrastructure if practical and economical to do so. Note the installation of fibre is part of the Telecommunication Amendment – Fibre deployment Act 2011.

• Starter pipe, NBN Co and the developer will provide the starter pipe from the roadside pit. Electrical contractors are permitted to open the NBN Co pit to access the starter pipe marker and to identify the location of the end of the starter pipe. Standard telecommunications conduit is to be used where the internal diameter is 23mm to extend this conduit from the property boundary to the dwelling.

• Key information for cablers, contractors were provided with a leaflet showing the approved method of installing the conduits

• Premises Connection Device (PCD) or utility box, is where the rigid Kevlar coated fibre optic is changed to flexible single The Master Electrician

Summer 2014

52

all about ME

325mm

50

233

544mm

70

Space allowed for future PS/B installation

50

179

565mm

195

Indoor NTD enclosure

65 Supply internal and external conduit paths

glass core optical fibre. This point also becomes a test point for future fault finding. The position of the PCD needs to be carefully located so as not to cause interference with LV wiring and if applicable, gas lines. Please be aware that the point where the PCD is mounted is considered a ‘laser’ and therefore a source of ignition.

• Network Termination Device (NTD), the mounting template diagram below shows the space that is required to be allocated on a wall for the NBN Co equipment, and for future customer equipment. It can be seen that a socket outlet is required outside this zone, but could be included in a suitable enclosure provided the space requirements are maintained.

• Equipment pre-installation check can be carried out by NBN Co prior to building occupancy to ensure compliance. This can speed up the installation process when the premise is close to completion, and can then be declared NBN ready.

What’s in it for electrical contractors?

The electrical contractor role is important as home owners will rely on industry experts to guide them. Electricians install the socket outlets, the conduits, the data network and negotiate with the builder. Contractors can influence the design of the internal network, the location of the NBN enclosure, the number of data points, the style/colour of data points and socket outlets.

For more information or to subscribe to the NBN Co newsletter visit www.nbnco.com.au /subscriptions

www.masterelectricians.com.au

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50

Mounting template, 565mm x 325mm

Next Telstra spoke about how the way in which we consume content, how this is changing and how the NBN’s super high speed broadband is front and centre to facilitate it.

The next decade will see an explosion in connected household devices. Research referenced by the Huffington Post states that by 2022, the average household with two teenage children will own roughly 50 internet-connected devices, up from approximately 10 today. These devices include: game consoles and home computers; multiple internet connected TV’s; media consoles; multiple tablets and media gateway for music etc.

To get the best of these devices, they all need data points in the wall with superfast broadband and as families change over time, so will the requirements for data points throughout the house.

Telstra are investing in a range of initiatives to support the connected home including: integrated content; new home services and in-home support. For more information on Telstra and the NBN visit www.telstra.com.au/nbn

The next decade will see an explosion in connected household devices. Research referenced by the Huffington Post states that by 2022, the average household with two teenage children will own roughly 50 internet-connected devices, up from approximately 10 today.

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Contractors then heard from the International Copper Association Australia (ICCA) who covered off on their Smart Wired® initiate, a platform designed to assist contractors in wiring residential dwellings to meet the needs of today’s homes. Smart Wired is about maximising contractor’s business potential by offering customers options for the future smart home. These options include: communications; entertainment; energy management; security and safety; digital home health; age and assisted living; intelligent lighting and power and electric vehicle charging.

To be a Smart Wired contractor you must: • Have an open registration and structured cabling and coaxil cabling endorsements • Complete the Smart Wired designers course • Have registered you and your company with ICAA. Smart Wired also offer a wide range of free resources available to download, including: Code of Practice for Home Wiring, Quick guide to Smart Wiring and Installer cabling handbook for home wiring.

To download these resources and keep up-to-date with developments to the code, register with Smart Wired at www.smartwiredhouse.com.au Master Electricians Australia (MEA) closed off the forums by providing all the information contractors need to get skilled for the NBN. MEA’s training arm Master Electricians SkillsConnect have partnered with Ramsden Training and now offer a range of courses that will up-skill contractors wanting to work on the NBN. These courses include: • NBNATC1201A – NBN safety awareness • NBNAcc13002A – Install, commission and maintain a fibre Network Termination Device (NTD) • NBNAcc13004A – Prepare, splice and enclose ribbon fibre

Smart Wired also offer a wide range of free resources available to download, including: Code of Practice for Home Wiring, Quick guide to Smart Wiring and Installer cabling handbook for home wiring.

• NBNAcc13008A – MDU cabling and hardware installation – Brownfields • NBNAcc13012A – Survey and report underground network • NBNAcc13015A – Install underground service drop • ICT20613 – Certificate II in National Broadband Network Construction • ICT30713 – Certificate III in National Broadband Network Construction.

The new ACMA rules from 1 July 2012 require persons holding an Open Registration and installing any specialised cabling to have the relevant specialist cabling competency. SkillsConnect are now offering the following cabling endorsement courses: • ICTCBL3009 – Structured, balanced (twisted pair) cabling • ICTBL3010A – Optic fibre cabling • ICTCBL3011A – Coaxial cabling.

For more information on these courses to enrol contact SkillsConnect today on 1300 889 198 or email training@masterelectricians.com.au Thank you to our NBN forum sponsor CNW for their continued support.

MEA’s Forums are a quarterly event for members and nonmembers. Keep an eye out for an invite to the next set of forums, set to kick-off in March.

The Master Electrician

Summer 2014

54

test drive

Toyota Prado GXL, D4-D While a tradie vehicle is handy for work, a functional family car is a must-have for those of us with kids. Test driver Andrew Bailey reviews a Toyota Prado that is ticking all the right boxes for families.

We all know there’s a time and place for tradie vehicles but they make for a pretty un-functional family car. You wouldn’t risk the kids being squeezed up against tool boxes on one side and cable drums on another, all for a weekend away.

Or could you? The answer could very possibly lie in the MY2014 Toyota Prado GXL 150 series, a brand new Toyota model with a D4-D 3.0L diesel engine and five-speed automatic transmission. With a plush black interior, velvet covered seats and soft floor carpets, you’ll find the kids won’t be complaining of an uncomfortable ride. This seven-seater car ensures plenty of room for the whole family.

Little ones may, however, require a bit of a leg-up to get into the vehicle! Up close, the size of the 4WD wagon is something to be reckoned with, although Toyota have certainly taken this into account and have installed hand grips on the A-pillar assist as well as side steps.

Slipping into the driver’s seat was easy enough, with further adjustment for both tilt and reach on the rather large steering wheel.

The size of the steering wheel does, at times, impair your vision of some of the switches, as does the spare wheel carrier in the rear vision mirror. But the car’s keyless entry and engine start more than makes up for it.

With my foot on the brake, I pushed the ‘engine start’ button and began fiddling with some of the car’s functions. An excellent phone and sound system that is compatible with almost anything on the www.masterelectricians.com.au

current market certainly scores the car a few brownie points. I made a few final adjustments to the external and rear view mirrors and steering wheel, and the Prado was ready for the road.

Selecting the ‘driver’ mode in the transmission with relative ease, I found that releasing the handbrake and taking off required a little more exertion on the throttle than I had initially expected. Driving in traffic was a breeze, with the graphic display in the centre showing the ‘instantaneous use of fuel’ was below average, and a dash light indicated it was in ‘eco’ mode. What had previously appeared to be a drawback for the vehicle when clambering in was now an added advantage, with the immense height of the vehicle providing a clear and commanding view of the road ahead, as well as to the side and rear. The steering was nice and light so navigating around car parks was a breeze, even reversing into tight spots was made simple by the reversing camera and large in-dash screen.

As I took the vehicle further up into the hills, I knew I was really going to put the vehicle under some pressure to perform. With a climb of 400 metres over a distance of 15 kilometers, the engine and transmission seemed to be matched with very little change of gear – certainly no ‘eco’ light on this time!

However what goes up, must come down! I had a very steep driveway to descend so I decided to select the Hill Descent Control (HDC) option to evaluate its performance. Countering the inherent need to put your foot on the brake pedal is not easy if you haven’t performed

55

this exercise before but I forced myself not to do so. The descent, while noisy as the ABS kicked in, was controlled and slow and all I had to do was steer.

To test the vehicle’s ability to take off on a steep incline, I engaged low range by rotating the selector knob to L4, selected high idle on the dash switch, and released the handbrake. The car began to inch up the driveway but stopped until I gave the engine a bit more of a rev, then easily pulled up the driveway, indicating there was a lot of torque available.

Access to the third row was via the passenger side door, so children are not exposed to traffic when entering or exiting the car. With the third row folded down, the rear space is huge, with ample room for a fridge as tie-down points are provided, although there are no 12V sockets in the back. Additionally a 220Vac 100W socket outlet is provided to charge equipment such as computers, camera batteries, portable printers and more.

All in all, with plenty of room for the family and equipment, this Prado is an excellent vehicle either on a holiday road trip, or for day-to-day use.

The Prado proved to be an excellent vehicle when driving at night, providing peace of mind due to its bright, adjustable headlights and fog lights. Interestingly, there is also a day driving position that does not allow hi-beam under normal day driving conditions.

Toyota Prado GXL specs: • 4.0L VVT-i Petrol V6 engine or 3.0L Turbo Diesel engine • Fuel capacity of 150L – giving a range in excess of 1,000km • 17inch wheels and great selection of after-market off-road tyres • Towing up to 2,500kgs – many camper trailers are under this weight

Coming down a mountain, I took the opportunity to use the transmission in select mode to manually control gear changes. This enabled better control out of corners under acceleration. I expected an increase in fuel consumption but was pleasantly surprised to find that I was still driving in ‘eco’ mode.

Full specs are available on the Toyota website www.toyota.com.au

Other advantages to the vehicle included dual control air conditioning for both the driver and passenger’s comfort , and dark tinting on all windows ensuring privacy. The second row of seats were also adjustable, split 40-20-40, with their own air conditioning control.

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The Master Electrician

Summer 2014

56

events calendar

FEBRUARY

MARCH

21 – 22 February 2014 South Australian Wooden Boat Festival River Port of Goolwa, Goolwa SA www.woodenboatfestival.com.au

10 March 2014 Adelaide Cup Morphettville Racecourse, Adelaide, SA www.adelaidecup.com.au

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57

shocking photograph

LIKE TO WIN $50?

Send us your favourite picture (in high resolution of at least 1MB please) and if we publish it, we’ll send you $50!

What’s missing?!

An electrical contractor was called to a unit to investigate the unwanted tripping of a safety switch. Safety switches trip for a reason and in this case, the wiring and the light fitting had been attacked by rats! Further investigation revealed cables in the roof had been extensively attacked, leaving wires exposed as can be seen in the photo. No wonder the safety switch tripped. Always remember, safety switches do trip for a reason.

Thanks to Trent from Power Electrical Services in Mornington, Victoria, $50 is on its way. Trent would like to dedicate this photo to his mentor and owner of Power Electrical Services, Craig Borschmann who was a valuable asset to the industry and sadly passed away on 13 December 2013.

Send your entries to magazine@masterelectricians.com.au for your chance to win.

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The Master Electrician

Summer 2014

58

the last word

Why National Licensing failed Almost four years ago I was asked to provide advice to the then Federal Government on developing a new national licensing regime.

I recall at the very first meeting, the one issue I raised was a concern that the process may end up being a dive to the bottom of the pond; that is, it would be easier to remove conditions for licensing rather than to impose a stricter regime in some jurisdictions.

It was therefore inevitable that when a move to ease regulation in this area occurred, Master Electricians Australia (MEA) resisted, knowing the full impact it would have on our industry. If the bar gets lowered to the point where anyone with an electrician’s license can simply obtain an ABN then start trading, the market will soon be flooded with companies looking for ‘get rich quick’ opportunities.

We recently saw what occurred when the Federal Government gave out lucrative financial benefits to anyone who filled in a form to say insulation was installed. The same would no doubt have occurred to general contracting, with call centre-type companies opening and closing overnight, selling ultra cheap products fully installed and then driving the installation costs down to breaking point.

After working hard for the last four years on the detail of aligning different state systems into one national scheme it became apparent the bureaucrats had a different set of objectives. From the outset they were determined to use this opportunity to bring about a deregulated system of licensing. Regardless of the years of work put in by industry, unions, community representatives and skills councils the bureaucrats designed a Decision Regulatory Impact Statement which ignored all of the hard work industry had been done to come up with a palatable solution.

After months of very frustrating meetings, it became apparent the bureaucrats would not move on their position and the only course of action was to remove our support for national licensing altogether.

MEA then worked with the union and other associations to bring about a campaign using our media and lobbying expertise to encourage Federal and State Ministers to walk away from National Licensing.

At a meeting of the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) on 13 December 2103 the scheme was officially scrapped and the National Occupational Licensing Authority (NOLA) was to be disbanded.

that facilitates electrical contracting businesses being able to operate smoothly throughout all states and territories and makes no compromises on electrical safety. Hopefully this can be achieved without the extra cost and hazards of the proposed national license.

All is not lost. MEA will continue to push for a high quality mutual recognition scheme

MALCOLM RICHARDS CEO

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